UC-NRLF 


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SAMPaON 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/advertiseedOOsamprich 


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Advertising  is  a  chain  of  ideas, 
carefully  linked  together,  force- 
fully  expressed,  and  scientifi- 
cally calculated  to  produce  a 
cumulative  reaction  upon  a 
definite      group      of      people. 


ADVERTISE! 


BY 

E.  SAMPSON 

Advertising  Manager  for  The  Daniels  &  Fisher 
Stores  Company,  of  Denver 


ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

L.  P.  BITTERLY 


D.  C.  HEATH  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

BOSTON        NEW  YORK        CHICAGO 


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Copyright,  1918, 
By  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 

1l8 


ADVERTISE! 

Advertising  supplies  almost  every  great  lack; 
from  the  lack  of  personality  to  the  lack  of  business; 
from  the  lack  of  a  vocation  to  the  lack  of  interest. 

The  word  "advertise"  brings  to-day  a  special  mes- 
sage of  hope  to  the  human  race,  for  it  is  the  whole 
solution  of  the  Reconstruction  Period. 

It  is  impossible  to  succeed  in  any  walk  of  life  to- 
day without  a  knowledge  of  the  value  of  advertising. 
A  calling  in  itself,  it  is  the  gateway  to  innumerable 
other  vocations. 

In  the  broader  sense  advertising  includes  the  very 
clothes  you  wear  and  the  way  you  speak. 

Whether  you  are  a  buyer  of  advertising  or  a  student 
of  advertising  or  only  a  reader  of  advertising,  it  be- 
hooves you  now  as  never  before  to  understand  its 
principles,  for  consciously  or  unconsciously  it  is  one 
of  the  ruling  forces  of  your  life! 


412849 


Note  to  Teachers  and  Students 

Answers  to  questions  at  the  conclusions  of  the  chap- 
ters of  this  book  should  be  retained  and  filed  in  folders, 
in  order  that  work  may  be  compared  and  revised  from 
time  to  time.  This  will  enable  the  student  to  note  his 
progress  and  to  work  out  a  thorough  course  in  ad- 
vertising. 

Outside  reading  may  be  suggested  by  the  instructor 
with  special  attention  to  the  reference  books  mentioned. 


IV 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I.   The  Point  of  Contact 1 

II.  The  Advertising  Appropriation 6 

III.   Advertising  Strategy 12 

rV.   The  Acid  Test  of  Advertising ?n  (/ 

V.   Danger  Signals  in  Advertising 44 

VI.   Laying  out  a  Newspaper  or  Magazine  Ad- 
vertisement    52 

.     VII.   Designing  the  Layout 69 

VIII.   Writing  the  Headline's 79 

IX.   Wording  the  Advertisement .  .  : 95 

X.   Comparative  Prices  in  Advertising 101 

XL   Putting  in  the  Ginger 108 

XII.   Optimism  and  Humor  the  Seasoning  of 

Good  Advertising 114 

XIII.  Local  Color  in  Advertising 120 

XIV.  Suggestion  in  Relation  to  Advertising ....  126 
XV.  The  Eye  in  Advertising 137 

XVI.   What  Advertising  Demands 148 

XVII.   The  Advertising  Letter 157 

XVIII.   The  Advertising  FoUow-Up 177 

XIX.   Booklet,    Folders,    Etc.,    Direct    Adver- 
tising    181 

V 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

XX.   Program  Advertising 188 

XXI.  Bill  Board  and  Street  Car  Advertising. ...  195 

XXII.  Systematizing  an  Advertising  Office. .....  201 

XXIII.  Cuts  in  the  Making 213 

XXIV.  "Putting  it  Ove.  "  in  the  Magazines 221 

XXV.  "Cash  Money"  Returns  in  Advertising.  .  233 

Index 241 


VI 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 
OF  ADVERTISING 

Be  Human, 

Be  Interesting, 

Be  Easy  to  Understand. 

Be  Easy  to  Read. 

Be  Humorous,  when  you  can. 

Be  Unusual, 

Be  Unexpected. 

Be  Tempting, 

Be  Subtle, 

Be  Positive. 


vu 


ADVERTISE! 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

First  of  all  it  is  necessary  to  find  a  human 
point  of  contact  with  the  reader  of  your  adver- 
tisement. 

The  most  shop-worn  tradition  of  advertising 
IS  "  dignity/'  There  is  a  certain  stilted  style 
of  statement,  adopted  by  many  concerns,  which, 
for  interest,  reminds  one  of  a  legal  document. 
Such  advertisements  strut  into  the  light  of 
publicity  much  in  the  fashion  of  the  vestrymen 
walking  down  the  aisle  in  church  with  the 
collection  plates.  These  advertisements  always 
look  the  same,  are  usually  set  in  the  same  kind 
of  type,  have  very  much  the  same  wording  and 
are  addressed  to  and  are  probably  ignored  by 
about  the  same  people. 

Advertising  based  solely  upon  dignity  re- 
sembles an  austere,  cold  individual  who  always 
seems  to  be  *' wearing  his  face.''  There  are 
people  like  this.  They  never  say  one  single 
human  thing.     They  leave  one  wondering  what 

1 


ADVERTISE! 


they  would  be  like  if  they  broke  down  and  were 
natural. 

Dignity  is  a  sort  of  cloak.  There  is  a  cold, 
formal  indifference  about  it.  There  is  a  dis- 
tinct withdrawal  in  it.  It  lacks  warmth,  and 
it  fails  to  find  the  point  of  contact. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  order  to  be  interesting 
one  does  not  need  to  be  undignified,  but  dignity 
certainly  ought  not  be  the  principal  impression 
conveyed  by  an  advertisement.  The  advertise- 
ment which  successfully  holds  the  interest  of  its 
readers  may  let  dignity  take  care  of  itseK. 

**  Reason  Why  Copy,*'  or  the  argumentative 
style  of  advertising,  often  fails  to  make  the  point 
of  contact. 

There  is  no  appeal  to  reason  in  "It  Floats," 
that  remarkable  piece  of  advertising  put  out  by 
Ivory  Soap.  Nebular  as  a  soap  bubble,  there  is 
a  subtle,  convincing  suggestion  in  those  two 
little  words,  that  against  all  your  reason  per- 
suades you  that  a  floating  soap  possesses  a 
superiority  over  one  that  will  not  float. 

Here  is  a  splendid  illustration  of  advertising 
that  reaches  a  human  point  of  contact  beyond 
reason  • —  an  advertisement  so  good  that  it  can 
and  should  be  used  as  long  as  the  soap  is  manu- 
factured.    There  is  an  elusive   quality   about 

2 


THE    POINT    OF    CONTACT 

that  advertisement  '^  It  Floats ''  that  is  the  direct 
product  of  advertising  genius  in  its  most  con- 
densed and  strongest  form. 

Advertising  should  be  a  response  to  human 
needs.  In  order  to  become  master  of  effective 
advertising,  it  is  above  all  necessary  to  study 
life  —  to  find  out  the  thousand  and  one  ways  by 
which  the  desires  of  people  for  advertised  articles 
may  be  aroused. 

Life  is  full  of  effective  advertisements  which 
never  find  their  way  into  print,  because  no  real 
.advertiser  is  on  the  spot  to  see  them.  Other 
advertisements  remain  unwritten  because  the 
writer  has  no  imagination  and  cannot  see  the 
romance  and  human. interest  in  the  article. 

The  real  reason  to-day  for  a  great  deal  of  the 
much-condemned  sale  advertising  is  that  writers 
of  advertising  have  failed  to  create  the  demand 
on  any  other  score  than  that  of  price.  They 
have  not  even  glimpsed  the  possibilities  of  the 
thing  to  be  advertised. 

There  is  no  question  that  sale  advertising  will 
have  to  be  moderated  and  treated  solely  for  its 
news  value,  and  that  the  day  of  the  fake  ad- 
vertiser is  past.  While  there  is  undoubtedly 
nearly  as  much  exaggeration  on  the  part  of  the 
exposers  of  fraudulent  advertising  as  the  ex- 

3 


ADVERTISE! 


posers  claim  that  there  is  on  the  part  of  the 
advertisers,  still  the  bargain  instinct  of  the  buy- 
ing public  has  been  much  over-worked,  and  it 
behooves  the  advertising  writer  to  study  every 
phase  of  advertising  which  will  promote  his 
skill. 

Much  of  the  present-day  advertising  is  too 
cold  and  too  removed  from  the  understanding 
of  the  customer.  Practically  every  one  of  the 
great  department  stores  of  America  offends  in 
the  matter  of  using  terms  which  at  least  half  of 
their  customers  do  not  understand.  The  great 
majority  of  these  stores  advertise  to  their  own 
customers  instead  of  advertising  for  new  busi- 
ness—  they  take  the  interest  of  their  readers 
for  granted. 

A  great  many  of  the  national  advertisers  of 
food  products  never  even  mention  where  their 
product  may  be  purchased. 

A  large  per  cent  of  advertising,  both  local  and 
national,  is  so  monotonous  and  stereotyped  that 
it  is  certainly  less  than  50  per  cent  effective. 

Fixed  ideas  are  ruinous  to  advertising.  The 
man  or  woman  who  is  afraid  to  change  has  no 
business  in  the  advertising  field,  because  ad- 
vertising is  the  survival  of  the  newest  and  the 
most  unusual. 

4 


THE    POINT    OF    CONTACT 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Cut  out  20  advertisements  from  newspapers  or  maga- 

zines and  note  carefully  points  which  appeal  to  you. 

2.  Determine  the  points  of  contact. 

3.  Suggest  for  each  advertisement  three  new  points  of 

contact. 

4.  Cite  three  instances  from  life  which  would  make  good 

advertisements. 

5.  Examine  some  article  of  merchandise,  write  a  minute 

description  of  it,  and  name  three  facts  upon  which 
an  advertisement  might  be  based. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  ADVERTISING  APPROPRIATION 

Just  as  various  buyers  go  to  the  market  to 
buy  shoes,  women's  clothing,  men's  clothing, 
and  the  like  —  so  the  advertising  manager  of  a 
concern  buys  its  space. 

With  him  rests  the  responsibility  of  investing 
his  advertising  appropriation  so  that  it  will 
bring  the  largest  possible  return.  It  is  his 
judgment  which  determines  just  how  every 
penny  of  his  yearly  allowance  is  to  be  expended, 
and  the  first  questions  that  present  themselves 
for  the  consideration  of  the  advertising  expert 
are  the  following: 

1.  What  is  the  amount  of  the  appropriation  ? 

2.  What  territory  is  to  be  covered  ? 

3.  What  classes  of  people  are  to  be  reached? 

4.  What  media  are  to  be  used  ? 

5.  What  is  the  general  scheme  or  plan  of 
advertising  ? 

The  scheme  or  plan  is  then  directly  developed 
from  the  appropriation,  and  it  is  quite  possible 
that  the  first  question  asked  the  advertising 
expert  will  be,  what  in  his  judgment  is  a  fair 
appropriation. 

6 


THE    ADVERTISING    APPROPRIATION 

It  is  extremely  desirable  that  the  appropria- 
tion be  made  with  a  view  to  certain  well-estab- 
lished advertising  principles  which  are  developed 
from  the  most  successful  advertising  campaigns. 
If  the  appropriation  is  too  large,  it  will  eat  an 
unfair  hole  into  the  profits  of  the  business.  It 
will  become  an  over-advertised  business  —  which 
usually  means  that  it  is  a  poorly  advertised 
business,  because  the  real  advertising  expert  is 
too  well  acquainted  with  the  appropriation  to 
advise  a  concern  against  its  own  interests.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  the  appropriation  is  too  small, 
it  will  fail  to  hit  the  mark.  It  will  stop  short  of 
success  and  deprive  the  concern  of  its  just 
returns,  probably  convincing  its  owners  of  the 
futility  of  advertising. 

The  advertising  percentage  varies  directly  with 
the  territory  to  be  covered,  the  duration  of  the  past 
advertising,  and  the  age  and  success  of  the  busi- 
ness. 

If  the  territory  to  be  covered  is  large,  the 
appropriation  may  have  to  be  increased.  Or,  an 
appropriation  may  be  cut  by  determining  to 
reach  fewer  people,  or  by  advertising  in  a  certain 
limited  territory.  It  is  far  better  to  take  certain 
territories  and  carry  on  a  thorough,  systematic, 
follow-up  plan  of  advertising  than  to  attempt 

7 


ADVERTISE! 


to  reach  a  larger  mass  of  people  with  scattered 
spurts  of  publicity. 

As  advertising  is  cumulative  in  its  effect,  a 
concern  which  has  been  advertising  for  a  long 
period  of  years  may  allow  far  lower  percentages 
than  one  whose  advertising  is  beginning.  That 
is,  advertising  percentage  should  diminish  with 
time,  until  a  certain  level  is  reached. 

An  established  concern  that  is  beginning  to 
advertise  may  figure  its  reputation  as  an  adver- 
tising asset.  The  age  and  success  of  a  business 
have  a  tendency  to  decrease  its  advertising 
expenditures  to  a  certain  definite  level. 

The  percentages  allowed  by  successful  business 
men  for  advertising  are  based  upon  the  business 
of  the  past  year,  save  in  cases  where  new  projects 
are  under  way,  when  increased  percentages  must 
be  used. 

The  advertising  appropriation  varies  from  2 
per  cent  (low)  to  20  per  cent  (high)  of  the  sales, 
in  some  instances  going  lower  than  1  per  cent, 
and  in  some  other  cases  being  a  direct  capitalized 
investment  in  a  business. 

Department  stores  usually  make  allowances 
for  departments  based  upon  their  past  year's 
business  and  varying  from  2  per  cent  to  5  per 
cent.     Where  a  business  is  new  and  is  becoming 

8 


THE    ADVERTISING    APPROPRIATION 

established,  15  per  cent  is  not  a  high  appropria- 
tion, and  5  per  cent  is  a  low  one.  In  the  case  of 
proprietary  articles,  the  advertising  is  so  large 
and  important  an  asset  and  so  directly  deter- 
mines the  success  or  failure  of  the  article,  that 
the  appropriation  may  be  either  directly  capi- 
talized or  may  be  made  in  a  lump  sum  and 
charged  to  deferred  expense  over  a  period  of  ten 
years  or  more. 

Sometimes  in  order  to  advertise  a  business  it 
may  become  necessary  to  completely  reorganize 
it.  This  is  the  case  where  a  small  business  is 
being  carried  on  at  its  full  capacity  and  where 
the  demand  without  advertising  is  greater  than 
the  output.  Here  is  a  wonderful  opportunity 
for  the  advertising  man  to  get  right  into  the 
heart  of  the  business,  reorganize  it  with  further 
capital  and  make  a  fortune  through  advertising. 

The  selection  of  media  depends  entirely  upon 
the  appropriation  and  for  several  important 
reasons.  The  first  reason  is  that  the  advertis- 
ing expert  must  make  the  biggest  showing,  the 
loudest  noise  for  his  money,  in  the  most  effective 
way  possible.  Then  the  planning  must  be  done 
with  a  view  to  the  advertising  of  competing 
concerns.  If  the  appropriation  is  far  out  of 
scale  with  competing  concerns,  it  may  be  wiser 

9 


ADVERTISE! 


to  choose  different  media  which  will  not  draw 
the  enemy  fire. 

In  considering  the  appropriation  it  must 
always  be  borne  in  mind  that  space  is  definite 
merchandise.  The  successful  advertising  writer 
must  have  his  medium  before  him  just  as  defi- 
nitely as  a  pair  of  shoes  or  any  other  tangible 
article  of  merchandise.  It  is  always  a  drawback 
to  the  advertiser  when  he  does  not  get  this  view 
of  his  advertising.  If  you  cannot  think  of  space 
in  any  other  tangible  way,  picture  it  as  a  lasso 
reaching  from  your  article  to  your  customer  — 
so  many  definite  yards  of  rope.  Let  your  rope 
be  long  enough,  and  let  the  hand  which  directs 
it  be  skillful. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  What  concern  in  your  city  is  the  most  extensively 

advertised  ?  Does  it  use  newspaper,  billboard,  street 
car  or  direct-by-mail  advertising,  or  all  of  them? 
About  what  proportion  of  its  appropriation  would 
you  estimate  is  placed  in  each  medium  ? 

2.  Name  half  a  dozen  established  concerns  in  your  city 

which  are  not  classed  as  regular  advertisers.  Which 
of  them  do  you  think  could  be  profitably  advertised  ? 

3.  Is  the  most  effectively  advertised  concern  in  your  city 

the  largest  advertiser  ? 

4.  If  you  were  the  advertising  manager  of  the  most  largely 

10 


THE    ADVERTISING    APPROPRIATION 

advertised  concern  in  your  city,  tell  briefly  the  media 
you  would  choose  to  advertise  the  business.  Would 
you  by  this  means  reach  the  greatest  number  of 
people  the  most  effectively  ? 

5.  Very  briefly  summarize  the  present  plan  of  advertising 

used  by  the  concern,  giving  your  ideas  roughly  as  to 
what  classes  of  people  you  think  they  are  reaching 
through  their  present  advertising  plan  ? 

6.  Can  you  think  of  any  missing  links  in  the  plan  ?    How 

does  your  plan  compare  with  it  ? 

7.  If  you  were  spending  $5000  advertising  some  financial 

investment,  through  what  medium  or  media  would 
you  reach  (a)  doctors;  (6)  business  men;  (c)  working 
men? 


11 


CHAPTER  III 
ADVERTISING  STRATEGY 

Far  more  important  than  the  actual  writing 
of  the  advertisement,  is  the  planning  that  is 
done  before  the  advertisement  is  written. 

Given  a  choice  between  a  good  plan  with  a 
poor  advertisement,  or  a  good  advertisement 
with  a  poor  plan,  take  the  former. 

Single  pieces  of  advertising  are  rarely  success- 
ful. It  is  the  prolonged,  systematized,  carefully 
planned  campaign  of  advertising  that  gets  the 
business,  and  such  a  campaign  cannot  possibly 
be  prepared  without  careful  study. 

The  advertising  man  must  be  a  general,  if  he 
has  the  brain  to  direct  the  selling,  and  this  he 
should  have  in  order  to  write  the  kind  of  copy 
that  builds  a  business. 

Market  conditions  at  home  and  abroad,  dis- 
tribution, and  merchandise  all  require  the  most 
detailed  consideration. 

You  cannot  separate  the  merchandise  and  the 
advertisement.  The  advertisement  that  tells 
nothing,  sells  nothing;  therefore,  you  must 
know  your  merchandise.  You  must  know  it  as 
well  as  the  man  who  makes  it  —  and  add  to  it 

12 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

a  poetry  of  imagination,  which  the  other  may 
not  possess. 

If  the  merchandise  does  not  back  up  the  ad- 
vertisement, the  advertisement  will  be  a  failure. 
Further  than  this,  it  will  financially  kill  the  man 
who  advertises.  It  behooves  the  advertising 
writer  to  deal  in  plain  facts  with  his  clients  —  to 
tell  them  the  truth  about  what  is  wrong  with  the 
merchandise,  or  the  service,  or  distribution  —  if 
there  is  something  wrong  —  before  the  adver- 
tising is  written.  This  means,  of  course,  that 
a  good  advertising  man  is  a  good  merchandiser. 

Taking  advantage  of  market  conditions  is 
another  feather  in  the  advertiser's  cap.  There 
are  psychological  waves  that  sweep  over  the 
country  from  time  to  time,  and  the  advertiser, 
like  the  politician,  must  take  full  advantage  of 
every  change  of  public  opinion. 

The  man  who  first  conceived  the  idea  of 
Guaranteed  Hosiery  made  a  master  move  in 
advertising  strategy,  and  ushered  in  a  new  ad- 
vertising era  among  hosiery  makers.  He  forced 
the  hand  of  his  competitors.  So  does  every 
advertiser  who  thinks  ahead  of  his  copy. 

The  difference  between  the  planned  advertise- 
ment, and  the  advertisement  without  plan,  is 
that  the  latter  constantly  echoes  and  follows  in 

13 


ADVERTISE! 


the   footsteps   of   the   former.     The   man   who 
plans  the  advertising  is  the  past  master  of  the 
game. 

Suggestions  for  Collecting  Data  Preliminary 
TO  Writing  Advertising 

Note.  —  No  exact  rules  can  be  given  on  this  subject.  The  advertising 
writer  must  steep  himself  in  the  facts  about  the  article.  These  few 
suggestions,  which  must  be  varied  with  the  article  under  consideration, 
are  made  merely  to  give  the  student  of  advertising  an  idea  of  his  under- 
taking. 

1.  Name  of  the  article. 

2.  Name  of  its  manufacturers. 

3.  Minute  description  of  the  article,  giving: 

(a)  Size 

(b)  Color 

(c)  Style    ' 

(d)  Material 

(e)  Points  in  workmanship. 

4.  Comparison  of  the  article  with  other  articles  made  by- 

other    manufacturers.     Wherein    does    it    excel? 
Wherein  is  it  inferior,  if  at  all  ? 

5.  The  selling  arguments  in  use. 

6.  Other  possible  selling  argmnents,  derived  from  a  study 

of  the  article. 

7.  Any  slogans  in  use,  or  any  particular  phrases  which 

the  manufacturers  wish  to  feature. 

8.  The  advertising  plan,*  giving: 

*  If  you  are  to  direct  the  publicity  you  will  make  the  plan  —  from  a 
study  of  the  data,  but  if  you  are  merely  writing  the  copy,  the  plan  should 
be  before  you. 

14 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 


(a)    Mediums  in  which  advertisements  are  to  be 

placed 
(6)   Number  of  follow-up  advertisements  in  each 

medium 
(c)   List  of  direct  advertisements  to  be  used,  such 

as  letters,  house  organs,  folders,  etc. 

9.   Collection  of  all  the  advertising  which  has  been  used 
by  the  company  in  the  past. 
10.   Careful  study  of  distribution,  present  and  future. 

Here  is  an  analysis  of  data  preparatory  to 
making  a  plan: 

'Regarding  Blank  Shoe  Company: 

After  studying  the  notes,  I  conclude  as  follows: 

1.  That  the  thing  they  most  need  and,  up  to  this  time, 

have  lacked,  is  system  in  their  advertising. 

2.  That  this  system  of  advertising  must  be  simple,  easily 

comprehended  by  all  their  dealers  and  prospective 
dealers,  and  must  touch  at  all  points. 

Plan  A 

Go  over  the  advertising  material  which  they  have  on 
hand  carefully  and  plan  out  in  detail  three  distinct 
follow-up  systems  to  customers;  one  for  men's  '*Sir 
Knight"  shoes,  one  for  women's  "Solastic"  shoes, 
one  for  children's  "Webster"  school  shoes.  (This 
will  enable  them  to  ask  dealers  for  a  men's  list,  a 
women's  list,  a  children's  list^  etc.) 

It  may  be  that  they  will  have  on  hand  enough 
good  material  to  use.     It  may  be  that  their 

15 


ADVERTISE! 


material  is  too  general,  (This  is  probable,  from 
samples.)  Thus  to  women,  we  should  talk 
style;  to  men,  style  and  comfort;  for  children, 
wear,  etc.  We  should  then  give  them  copy  for 
a  series  of  letters  and  little  booklets  for  these 
three  systems  which  they  could  print  themselves. 
Then,  when  they  do  get  a  customer's  list,  see 
that  each  one  on  the  list  gets  each  piece  of 
advertising. 

One  could  tell  better  just  how  many  pieces  of 
matter  would  go  in  each  system  if  he  could  "size 
up"  what  they  have  and  knew  a  little  more 
about  the  shoes.  Probably  five  letters  and  two 
booklets  should  go  to  the  dealers.  They  should 
undoubtedly  use  direct  matter. 

Plan  B 

The  first  part  of  this  plan  is  identical  with  Plan  A. 
Dealers  and  prospective  dealers  are  to  be  reached  by 
two  systems  of  direct  advertising: 

1.  To   dealers  —  letters,   cards,   special   advertising 

offers. 

2.  To  prospects  —  letters,  booklets,   cards,  folders, 

etc.     Also  space  in  Drygoodsman. 

Here  is  the  sort  of  plan  used  by  The  Chappe- 
low  Advertising  Agency  of  St.  Louis,  This 
Agency  is  justly  celebrated  for  its  very  careful 
study  of  data  and  its  very  keen  analysis  in  plan 

16 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

making.  It  has  built  some  very  big  accounts 
and  this  particular  plan  is  of  especial  interest 
because  of  the  way  it  brings  out  the  fundamental 
principles  of  advertising  and  makes  the  reader 
realize  the  truth  and  insight  of  the  writer  of  this 
plan. 

A  Plan  for  Increasing  Sales  * 

Speaking  broadly,  there  is  only  one  way  in 
which  you  can  hope  to  increase  sales,  and  that  is 
by  getting  new  customers. 

Yes,  you  can  get  more  business  from  your 
regular  and  occasional  customers,  but  that  has 
its  limitations.  Suppose  you  consider  the  matter 
of  securing  entirely  new  customers  —  firms  or 
individuals  who  have  never  bought  anything 
from  you  but  whose  trade  you  would  particu- 
larly like  to  have. 

There  are  just  three  principal  things  that 
influence  trade :  Quality  —  price  —  service.  In 
which  of  these  do  you  excel  ? 

Does  every  dealer  in  your  territory  who  is  not 
doing  business  with  you,  but  whose  trade  you 
want,  fully  realize  all  the  advantages  you  have 
to  offer?  Isn't  it  true  that  these  people  are 
sending  their  orders  elsewhere  —  possibly  to 
cities  outside  of  your  immediate  territory,  simply 

*  By  special  permission  of  Mr.  B.  E.  Chappelow. 

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ADVERTISE! 


because  you  have  never  made  a  real,  earnest, 
persistent,  and  consistent  effort  to  secure  their 
business  ?  The  chances  are  that  you  have  sent 
these  non-customers  a  hastily  dictated  letter 
from  time  to  time  or  an  occasional  piece  of 
printed  matter.  But  the  fact  still  remains  that 
they  are  not  buying  from  you. 

Now,  isn't  it  probable  that  the  whole  trouble 
may  be  that  you  haven't  put  your  shoulder  right 
up  against  the  wheel  and  pushed  with  all  your 
might  and  all  your  enthusiasm.^  Most  likely 
you  haven't  had  the  time  to  develop  new  busi- 
ness through  systematic  advertising.  Few  busi- 
ness men  have,  and  not  every  man  has  the  knack, 
training,  and  experience  which  are  absolutely 
necessary  to  make  "direct  advertising"  a  posi- 
tive selling  force. 

Briefly,  this  plan  explains  just  how  you  can 
go  after  new  business  in  a  logical,  systematic, 
and  common-sense  way  —  week  after  week  — 
month  in  and  month  out  —  and  at  the  same 
time  be  relieved  of  practically  every  detail.  If 
intelligently  carried  out,  this  plan  will  secure 
enough  new  customers  to  make  it  the  most 
profitable  trade-developing  investment  you  ever 
made.  Get  that  fact  firmly  fixed  in  your  mind 
before  going  any  farther. 

18 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

While  this  plan  will  work  hand  in  hand  with 
salesmen  or  solicitors,  enabling  them  to  increase 
orders  of  present  customers  as  well  as  securing 
new  ones,  a  similar  method  can  be  profitably 
carried  out  in  a  territory  not  covered  with  sales- 
men or  in  a  purely  local  business,  or  in  a  business 
where  no  salesmen  are  used.  Thus  you  can  reach 
prospective  customers  who  are  now  inaccessible. 

If  every  one  of  your  salesmen  is  a  "thorough- 
bred" business-getter,  the  very  best  in  the  trade, 
and  if  no  other  house  has  even  one  man  in  the 
same  class,  then  there  is  no  occasion  for  you  to 
do  otherwise  than  to  collect  just  the  orders  you 
want. 

But,  as  you  know,  all  jobbers  and  manu- 
facturers are  practically  on  the  same  basis,  for 
all  salesmen  are  more  or  less  alike.  They  work 
about  the  same  way,  and  they  play  about  the 
same  way.  While  your  salesman  is  getting  a 
big  order  from  one  man,  your  competitor's 
salesman  is  doing  the  same  thing  next  door  or 
in  the  next  town.  Unless  you  have  a  very 
distinct  advantage  in  price,  quality,  or  service 
you  are  on  a  dead  level  with  the  other  jobbers 
and  manufacturers. 

The  problem,  then,  is  to  make  your  house  and 
your  goods  a  little  more  conspicuous  than  the 

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ADVERTISE! 


others  —  to  lift  yourself  above  the  horizon  of 
commonplaceness. 

Solicitors  or  salesmen  cannot  do  this,  for  a 
number  of  good  and  sufficient  reasons.  Even 
your  best  man  at  times  gets  a  little  bit  stale  and 
falls  into  a  routine.  He  sees  certain  people  be- 
cause he  knows  their  orders  are  certain.  But  he 
hasn't  any  time  to  experiment.  A  traveling 
salesman  can  only  do  so  much  in  a  day,  and  part 
of  each  day  is  spent  in  catching  trains.  That 
uses  up  energy.  Getting  about  from  town  to 
town  costs  both  time  and  money.  Likely  your 
men  spend  more  time  in  getting  ready  to  push 
your  business  than  they  actually  do  in  talking 
to  customers. 

When  a  salesman  gets  a  fat  bunch  of  orders  he 
is  liable  to  knock  off  a  bit  early  to  celebrate, 
even  when  there  might  be  one  or  two  small 
orders  just  around  the  corner.  You  cannot 
expect  many  traveling  men  to  work  hard  all  day 
and  lie  awake  all  night  thinking  out  new  schemes 
for  increasing  your  bank  account. 

Then  the  average  salesman  misses  quite  a 
number  of  good  prospects  —  people  on  the  side 
streets  or  in  little  towns  on  a  branch  road. 

The  point  is,  your  representatives  need  help 
from  the  Home  Office.     They  need  you  to  back 

20 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

up  their  daily  efforts.  Also,  the  time  between 
their  visits  needs  bridging. 

By  starting  a  campaign  of  printed  salesman- 
ship you  are  right  at  your  prospective  customer's 
elbow  just  as  often  as  you  please  at  a  very 
economical  cost.  No  matter  what  the  condi- 
tions may  be,  each  piece  will  be  planned  and 
written  to  fit  those  conditions.  Further,  each 
piece  will  so  carefully  fit  in  with  each  succeeding 
piece  that  one  logical,  cumulative  advertising 
chain  will  be  constructed.  And  the  results  will 
be  cumulative  because  as  the  campaign  pro- 
gresses you  will  get  results  not  only  from  present 
advertising  but  also  from  all  the  advertising  that 
has  gone  before. 

The  specific  way  of  writing,  designing,  and 
printing  the  various  integrals  of  your  business- 
getting  system  can  be  determined  only  after  a 
careful  and  thorough  study  of  the  necessities  in 
your  case.  Some  parts  might  be  clever  and  in  a 
lighter  vein,  while  other  parts  will  be  the  in- 
evitable copper-riveted  facts  that  must  compel 
belief  —  if  properly  told.  Your  advertising  will 
be  distinct  and  different.  It  can  not  fail  to  lift 
you  head  and  shoulders  above  your  competitors. 

Now,  suppose  you  make  up  a  list  of  one 
thousand  or  more  firms  or  individuals  whose 

21 


ADVERTISE! 


trade  you  ought  to  have.  You  can't  go  per- 
sonally and  tell  these  people  the  "hard  facts," 
but  you  can  get  at  them  effectively  and  economi- 
cally and  make  them  first  understand,  then 
believe,  then  buy.  At  regular  specified  inter- 
vals you  tell  them  just  the  things  they  ought  to 
know  and  in  such  a  way  that  they  will  not  only 
read  and  believe,  but  actually  watch  and  wait 
for  your  advertising,  just  as  a  woman  waits  for 
the  store  "ads"  in  the  Sunday  newspapers. 
This  can  positively  be  done  if  you  go  at  it  right  — 
and  at  a  very  insignificant  cost. 

But  you  don't  stop  then.  You  keep  right  on 
holding  tight  to  the  advantage  you  have  gained. 
You  demonstrate  to  the  customer  that  his 
interests  are  your  interests  and  that  your  rela- 
tions go  beyond  the  mere  filling  of  his  orders. 

You  gain  his  confidence.  You  induce  him  to 
look  at  your  business  connection  as  a  personal 
one.  He  begins  to  think  that  you  are  the  only 
people  in  "the  trade."  Then  you  are.  And  all 
the  time  your  advertising  keeps  alive  this  per- 
sonal relation.  At  the  regular  intervals  your 
salesman  stops  and  gets  the  business.  He  does 
not  have  to  argue.  It's  there  waiting  for  him. 
Or  it  comes  in  by  mail  even  with  your  compet- 
itor's salesmen  personally  trying  to  head  it  off. 

22 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

While  we  have  been  talking  about  helping  the 
salesman  make  his  territory  more  profitable,  we 
repeat  once  more  that  the  right  sort  of  direct 
advertising  can  be  profitably  used  in  a  business 
where  no  salesmen  are  employed,  or  in  a  territory 
where  no  salesmen  go  —  or  to  dealers  that  your 
salesmen  never  see. 

Out  of  one  thousand  prospects,  you  won't  get 
a  thousand  customers.  No!  You  won't  even 
get  five  hundred  customers.  But,  suppose  this 
plan  brings  you  only  80  or  90  new  customers  — 
well,  won't  that  many  entirely  new  customers  be 
a  profitable  addition  to  your  business  ? 

[Details  of  plan  follow:   of  interest 
only  to   the   concern   addressed.] 

Here  is  a  small  "plan,  fully  developed,  for  Real 
Estate  Dealers, 

Plan  for  Advertising  Berkeley   Gardens 

Please  note  that  this  plan  is  based  upon: 

(1)  Curiosity. 

(2)  Love  of  home  and  family. 

(3)  Thrift  instinct. 

The  letters,  which  are  to  be  sent  to  a  specially 
prepared  list  of  men  in  varied  occupations,  to 
have  special  insert  paragraphs  to  be  used  in  each 
letter  to  meet  the  definite  case  of  the  man  ad- 

23 


ADVERTISE! 


dressed.  The  last  letter,  No.  4,  bears  the  bona 
fide  signature  of  a  laboring  man  who  bought  a 
tract  of  land  on  this  plan.  It  is,  of  course,  to  be 
used  only  in  letters  to  laboring  men. 

Newspaper  ads  to  commence  two  days  after 
the  first  letter  is  in  the  mails.  On  the  comple- 
tion of  the  newspaper  series  of  ads,  a  booklet 
containing  all  the  newspaper  ads  is  sent,  reca- 
pitulating the  whole  series  of  arguments. 

A  striking  feature  of  this  plan  is  the  human 
interest  which  is  developed  throughout  the  series 
of  advertisements,  and  which  makes  it  remark- 
ably different  from  the  ads  run  by  the  average 
real  estate  concern,  and  raises  its  effectiveness. 

Letter  No.  1 
Dear  Mr.  Jones : 

factory 
Several  men  in  your   bakery    are  going  to  buy  Berkeley 
plant 
Garden  tracts  and  own  homes  that  will  bring  them  regular, 
steady  yearly  incomes. 

This  extra  money  will  come  to  them  in  addition  to  their 
wages  and  will,  keep  on  piling  up  to  their  credit  at  their 
savings  banks.  * 

We  are  going  to  build  these  men  attractive  bungalow 
homes  —  just  two  blocks  from  city  car  lines,  within  two 
blocks  of  city  schools,  yet  outside  of  the  city  tax 
boundaries. 

24 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 


All  that  these  fellow  workmen  of  yours  will  pay  us  is 
$10  down  and  $10  a  month,  they  will  then  secure  a  rent- 
free,  income-earning,  ideally  located  home. 

They  are  making  this  big,  important  move  at  the  very 
nick  of  time  —  when  food  is  going  up,  when  foodstuffs  are 
at  a  premium  and  when  the  government  regards  every 
food  producer  as  a  patriot  and  is  willing  to  do  anything  to 
help  him  along. 

Now,  it  occurred  t  j  us  that  you,  too,  are  the  type  of  man 
to  whom  such  a  plan  would  appeal.  We  know  you  won't 
want  to  see  the  other  boys  of  the  Columbia  Tire  &  Leather 
Co.,  get  ahead  of  you.  Just  ask  the  fellows  around  you 
which  ones  are  going  to  buy  these  tracts  and  you  will  find 
the  most  ambitious  of  them  are  going  to  make  the  move. 

We  only  have  a  few  of  these  tracts  left  and  we  are 
selling  them  on  an  average  of  one  a  day.  One  hundred 
families  are  already  living  on  them,  making  money  — 
and  would  not  give  their  income-earning  homes  up  for 
anything. 

If  you  want  one,  or  are  open-minded  enough  to  look  into 
this  proposition,  if  you  are  willing  to  be  shown  and  willing 
to  make  some  more  coin  to  salt  away,  let  us  take  you  out 
in  our  Columbia  tired  automobile  and  show  you  the  place, 
introduce  you  to  the  residents  and  put  the  whole  home 
plan  before  you.  But  don't  let  that  whistle  blow  many 
times  before  you  call  us  up. 

Telephone  Champa  1516. 

Sincerely  yours. 
Fill  out  the  enclosed 
appointment  card  if 
you  prefer. 

25 


ADVERTISE! 


Letter  No.  2 
Dear  Mr.  Jones :  , 

If  the  Columbia  Tire  and  Leather  Company  ran  its 
business  the  way  you  run  your  home,  severe  losses  would 
result. 

It  is  not  to  any  piece  of  extravagance  on  your  part  that 
we  refer,  but  just  to  that  constant  leak  of  money  in  little 
ways,  that  continued  omnipresent  rent  to  pay;  that  every- 
month  grocery  bill  to  meet;  and  all  these  countless  httle 
expenses  that  keep  you  and  your  family  from  getting  the 
things  you  would  honestly  Uke  to  have  and  by  every  right 
ought  to  have. 

Why,  money  flies  past  so  fast  these  days  that  a  man  can 
scarcely  see  the  tail  feathers  on  the  eagles  as  they  sail  past! 

Now,  we  are  not  writing  this  letter  and  pointing  out 
this  condition  to  depress  you.  On  the  other  hand  now  is 
the  time  and  here  is  the  way  to  help  yourself  right  out  of 
this  condition  and  put  yourself  in  the  way  of  becoming  one 
of  the  rich,  prosperous,  successful  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Berkeley  Garden  tracts  are  solving  the  problem  for  your 
fellow  workmen  and  can  solve  yours,  if  you  will  make  up 
your  mind  to  make  that  first  small  initial  effort.  $10.00 
down  is  all  you  need  to  pay  and  the  reason  we  can  ask  for 
such  a  small  first  payment  and  can  afford  to  build  you  a 
home  on  this  installment  plan  is  that  every  single  solitary 
one  of  the  present  settlers  to  whom  we  have  sold  these 
tracts  are  thriving  and  prospering,  have  made  all  their 
payments  and  would  not  sell  their  income-earning  homes 
for  any  sort  of  expensive  city  home.  In  other  words  we 
are  assured  of  your  success  if  you  undertake  to  own  a  rent- 

26 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 


less  home.     And  more  than  this  most  men  rather  Uke  to 
see  their  money  rolhng  along,  snow-ball  fashion. 

When  there  is  a  great  big  generous  savings  account  back 
of  you  you  can  look  any  man  in  the  eye  on  a  very  satis- 
factory basis. 

Just  twenty-three  minutes  from  the  city,  two  blocks 
from  car  lines  and  city  schools  —  yet  outside  the  city  tax 
boundaries.     That's  where  Berkeley  Garden  Homes  are. 

We  are  selling  the  tracts  one  a  day.  If  you  want  one, 
or  think  you  might  want  one,  get  a  hold  of  a  telephone  and 
call  Champa  1516,  or  drop  us  the  enclosed  postal  card. 

The  card  or  postal  commits  you  to  nothing  more  than 
aif  good  automobile  ride  in  the  fresh  air.  We  want  to  show 
you  the  Gardens  —  whether  you  buy  or  not,  we  want  you 
to  see  them. 

Sincerely  yours. 

Letter  No.  3 
Dear  Mr.  Jones :  • 

I  wouldn't  ask  another  man  to  do  something  I  would 
not  want  to  do  myself. 

I  built  myself  a  home  right  out  at  the  entrance  to  Berke- 
ley Garden  tracts  —  and  I  am  farming  my  land  and  I  am 
mighty  glad.  I  am  glad  every  time  I  sell  the  products  of 
my  place.  It  is  the  cleanest,  most  certain  money  a  man 
can  make.  I  defy  any  man  to  find  the  same  sort  of  thriU 
in  any  other  way  that  he  gets  from  walking  around  his 
own  place  and  knowing  that  he  owns  it  and  everything 
on  it. 

If  there  is  any  way  to  insure  yourself  against  the  mis- 
fortunes of  life,  if  there  is  any  way  to  cultivate  the  habits 

27 


ADVERTISE! 


of  thrift  and  saving  that  go  to  make  the  best  citizenship  of 
this  country  —  a  country  home  is  that  way.  Nearly  every 
rich  city  man  has  such  a  home  some  place  —  in  case  every- 
thing goes  wrong  —  and  every  single  working  man  that 
owns  a  home  in  the  country  and  produces  and  sells  his 
products  from  our  Garden  tracts  is  prospering. 

Isn't  it  an  especially  attractive  opportunity  to  have  an 
income-earning  home,  just  23  minutes  from  the  city  center, 
to  be  just  two  blocks  from  the  car  lines  and  schools,  to  have 
the  good  fresh  country  air  and  country  life,  and  yet  to  be 
able  to  go  right  on  with  your  present  job?  It  puts  a 
different  face  on  a  man's  life  when  his  home  is  an  asset, 
when  he  knows  he  is  going  to  be  able  to  get  something  out 
of  it  rather  than  putting  all  he  can  earn  into  it. 

Of  course  there  is  another  side  to  this  thing  right  now 
when  the  government  is  calling  on  all  of  us  men  at  home  to 
produce  food  products.  Most  men  have  the  idea  that 
sometime  they  will  have  a  place  in  the  country  with 
chickens,  and  vegetables  and  t^e  like  —  secretly  it  is  what 
we  sons  of  mother  earth  all  want  —  it  is  the  natural  life  — 
this  life  of  the  open.  Now  we  feel  that  the  time  is  here 
when  we  ought  to  have  the  place  and  do  our  bit  in  the  way 
of  producing. 

When  you  pay  us  your  first  $10  you  become  a  Berke- 
ley Garden  tract  owner.  You  pay  the  rest  in  monthly 
installments.  We  will  build  you  a  home  on  the  same  easy 
installment  plan  and  your  home  will  begin  earning  for  you 
at  once. 

I  am  glad  I  own  a  country  home.  So  long  as  I  live  I 
hope  to  have  a  place  in  the  country.  You  will  feel  the 
same  way  when  you  become  the  owner  of  a  country  place. 

28 


ADVERTISING    STRATEGY 

How  about  it  ?•    Can  I  have  the  pleasure  of  taking  you 

for  a  ride  in  my  automobile  and  showing  you  the  Gardens  ? 

Telephone  me  at  Champa  1516,  or  drop  me  the  return 

card.     You  are  committed  to  nothing  but  seeing  the  place. 

Very  truly  yours. 

Letter  No.  4 
Dear  Mr.  Jones : 

Yes!    I'm  one  of  'em. 

Justin  Walker  he  asked  me  if  I  would  drop  you  a  line 
and  tell  you  honestly  whether  I  was  satisfied  with  my 
Berkeley  Garden  tract  home.  He  wanted  me  to  say  just 
how  I  felt  about  it  and  whether  it  was  the  way  he  repre- 
sented to  you  —  or  whether  he  was  just  kidding  you  along. 

Honest,  so  help  me  —  it's  great!  Say,  you  ought  to 
have  seen  my  crops  last  year!  Why,  I  own  this  place 
clean.  I  don't  have  to  pay  one  darn  red  cent  to  nobody! 
I  can  look  my  boss  in  the  face  and  tell  him  to  go  to,  — 
because  I  have  got  this  here  place  right  back  of  me,  —  and 
the  wife  and  me  are  going  to  get  us  some  automobile  this 
year. 

Maybe  I'm  especially  enthused  because  I  was  one  of 
these  here  fellows  that  was  always  gitting  into  debt.  My 
money  never  seemed  big  enough  to  stretch  around  —  but 
now  it's  different,  and  I'm  glad  and  you  could  not  buy  my 
place  from  me  because  I  want  to  stay  right  here. 

I'd  Uke  to  have  you  for  a  neighbor  and  wish  you'd  come. 
^  Yours  truly, 

(Address) 


29 


ADVERTISE! 


Appointment  Card 


Justin  C,  Walker 

( )  Street 

City 


L.A.* 


The  initials,  L.  A.,  L.  B.,  and  L.  C,  on  cards  will  key  them;  3  sets 


Mr.  Walker: 

You  can  take  me  to  see  Berkeley  Gardens 

Income-Earning  Homes 

Evening 

Sunday  (Signed) 

Daytime  Address 


You  may  call  for  me  at 


30 


This  little  girl  says  goodby  to  her  pet  chick- 
en every  morning  when  she  leaves 
her  Berkeley  Garden  Home  for 
her  two  block  walk  to  school. 

Wouldn't  you  rather  bring  up  your  children  this  way? 
Wouldn't  you  rather  give  them  fine,  robust  constitutions 
built  in  the  fresh-aired,  wholesome  country  life? 

Wouldn't  you  rather  have  them  grow  up  on  a  place  that  was 
all  theirs,  a  rent-free,  income-earning  home,  where  they 
could  see  before  their  eyes  the  lessons  of  thrift  due  to  the 
foresight  of  their  mother  and  father? 

Mothers  and  fathers  who  take  their  children  to  Berkeley  Gar- 
dens are  giving  them  the^very  best  start  in  life.  Plenty 
of  open  country,  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  nature,  a 
place  for  the  favorite  pets,  congenial,  industrious  neigh- 
bors, city  schools  just  two  blocks  away,  and  all  the  city 
advantages  within  street  car  distance — all  these  things 
are  ideal  f^r  child  develonment. 

If  you  are  a  far-seeing  mother  or  father 
you  will  he  interested  enough  to  call  up 
Champa  1516 and  let  us  tellyou  theplan. 


SlOjOO  Down  Secures  You  a  Tract- 
ready -for  this  year's  crops.  We  build  a  bungalow  to  suit 
yout"  taste  and  let  you  pay  on  the  same  easy  installment  plan. 

Let  OS  take  you  oi|t  in  our  automobHe  and  show 
you  Bericeley  Gardens.  You  can  ask  any  one 
of  more  than  one  hundred  home  owners  just 
what  they  think  of  their  Berkeley  Garden  hcmies. 

JUSTIN  C.  WALKER 


1717  Champa  Street 


Telephone  Champa  1516 


ADVERTISE! 


This  fellow's  Berkeley 
Garden  bcome  Earning 
Home  got  him  a  raise 
of  $10.00  a  week! 

If  he  had  quit  his  job 
two  years  ago  he  would 
have  had  no  money  to 
meet  his  rent  and  his 
grocery  bill. 


He  knew  it. 

So  did  his  boss.  (Bosses  always  know 
when  a  man  has  to  have  his  job  I) 

Then  he  paid  us  $iaoo  down,  got  a 
Berkeley  Garden  Tract,  had  us  build  him  a 
bungalow  and  moved  into  a  rent-free,  in- 
come-earning home.  Right  from  the  start 
he  made  good — made  good  as  he  had  never 
hoped  to  make  good  before.  No  rent,  no 
grocery  bill,  and  a  neat  little  income  from 
that  Berkeley  Garden  Home — he  was  inde- 
pendent ! 

And  just  as  soon  as  he  no  longer  needed 
his  job— his  job  began  to  need  and  cling  to 


His  boss  felt  the  change  and  he  raised 
him. 

If  you  went  in  to  ask  for  a  raise  tomor- 
row would  you  have  the  nerve  to  make  good 
your  bluff  and  quit — in  case  of  refusal  ? 

Get  a  Berkeley  Garden  Income-Earning 
home  behind  you  and  watch  it  push  you 
straight  into  success. 

One  a  day  are  selling— so  you  will  have'to 
speak  quickly — for  no  one  of  the  lOO  home 
owners  would  sell  you  his  at  any  price. 

Telephone  CJiampa  15 16  and  let  us  take 
you  out  in  our  automobile  and  show  you  the 
Berkeley  Garden  Homes. 


Justin  C.  Walker 


1717 
Street. 


32 


^^Andto  think  that  I  own 
this  Berkeley  Garden 
home  and  everything  on  it! 


fj 


He  had  a  masterful,  prosperous  air  as  he  looked  over  his  place. 
He  ought  to  have  had,  because  he  knew  that  it  was  the  foun- 
dation of  his  fortune. 


He  would  have  made  you  wonder  why  you  paid  rent,  and 
.  grocery  bills,  and  lived  a  cramped  city  life  when  you 
might  be  right  out  there  next  to  him  in  the  open,  making 
the  same  sort  of  start  in  a  rint-free, income-earning  home! 


It's  the  very  nick  of  time  to  secure  one 
of  these  Berkeley  Garden  tracts — But 
khere  are  not  very  many  left  now^ 


Any  of  you  men  who  get  the  idea  of  this  thing  in  mind  must 
speak  up  quickly  as  we  are  selling  them  so  fast  that  we 
will  have  to  quit  advertising  them  in  a  short  time — and 
you  couldn't  buy  out  one  of  the  established  home  owners 
for  twice  what  he  paid  us. 


It's  profitable,  that's  why.    It's  healthy,  tool 
Let  us  take  you  out  and  show  you.    We  will  ride  you  out  In 
the  automobile  any  time  you  say. 


Justin  C.  Walker 

TehphoM    Champa    1S16  1717  Champa  Street 


ADVERTISE! 


-^'^^^m 


He  bought  his 
Automobile  with 
the  income  from 
his  Berkeley  Gar- 
den home. 


|T  KEEPS  lots  of  fellows  step- 
ping^ sidewisc   just   to   meet 
their  regular  monthly  grocery 
bill  and  rent. 

An  automobile  oftert  means  a  mort- 
gage on  the  home  of  the  man  who 
owns  one. 

Now,  how  much  better  off  do  you 
think  this  fellow,  who  has  a  fine  coun- 
try place,  just  twenty-three  minutes 
from  the  heart  of  Denver,  within  two 
blocks  of  city  street  cars  and  schools— 
a  rent-free  home — a  grocer-free  home 
— a  home  that  supplies  him,  instead  of 
constantly  draining  him  to  his  last  re- 
sources? 


A  satisfied  feeling  of  thrift  and  sav- 
ing is  enough  to  make  any  man  care- 
free and  give  hint  the  wherewithal  to 
indulge  himself  in  the  many  pleasur- 
able things  of  life. 

Why  not  put  yourself  on  the  same 
easy  basis,  get  rid  of  your  expensive 
way  of  living,  and  get  yourself  one  of 
these  income-earning  homes?  Ten  dol- 
lars down  makes  you  the  owner  of  a 
Berkeley  Garden  Tract  ready  for  this 
year's  crops,  and  we  will  build  you  a 
bungalow  on  the  same  easy  install- 
ment plan. 


Let  as  show  yoa  in  the  aatomobUe. 


Justin  C.  Walker 


Telephone  Champa  1516 


1717  Champa  Street,  City 


34 


*You  Berkeley  Garden 
Home  Owners  are  the 
sort  of  men  we  want  in 
America  " 


Denver  citizens,  you  ought  to  congratulate  every 
single  Berkeley  Garden  Home  ow^er.  He  is  complying 
with  the  demand  of  the  President. 

He  is  producing  foodstuffs,  and  yet  going  right  on 
with  his  regular  job. 


He  is  an  Eight- 
cylinder  Citizen! 

We  need  more  men  like  this  and  there  are  a  few 
more  tracts  in  Berkeley  Gardens  for  such  men. 

Teelphone  Champa  1516  and  let  us  take  you  out  aild 
allow  you  to  talk  to  the  residents  already  there. 


Justin  C.  Walker 


1717  Champa  Street 
Telephone  Champa  1516 


ADVERTISE! 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Collect   series   of   advertisements   used   by   the   most 

successfully  advertised  concerns  in  your  city. 

2.  Pick  out  the  underlying  thought  of  each  advertisement. 

3.  Determine  how  many  ideas  are  presented  in  each  ad- 

vertisement. 

4.  Is  the  same  idea  or  are  the  same  ideas  presented  in  each 

advertisement  ? 

5.  To  how  many  groups  of  people  do  these  advertisements 

appeal? 

6.  Sketch  out  briefly  what  you  think  was  the  plan  of  this 

campaign. 

7.  Examine  the  product  and  see  if  you  can  think  of  any 

new  idea  or  ideas  consistent  with  the  plan. 


86 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  ACID   TEST  OF  ADVERTISING 

Suppose  a  piano  concern  engaged  you  as  its 
advertising  manager,  and  you  were  about  to 
submit  your  first  advertisement  to  the  firm. 
Suppose  the  piano  business  were  new  to  you,  and 
the  firm  were  new  to  you,  and  you  wanted  the 
job  —  how  would  you  write  your  first  adver- 
tisement ? 

You  might  go  to  a  professor  of  psychology 
who  knew  nothing  about  pianos^  and  write  an 
advertisement  that  he  would  tell  you  was 
* '  psychologically ' '  perfect . 

You  might  go  to  a  professor  of  music,  who 
knew  nothing  of  psychology,  and  write  an 
advertisement  that  he  would  assure  you  was 
musically  perfect. 

You  might  write  an  advertisement  praising 
the  piano  factory  or  the  genius  of  its  owners, 
that  would  be  very  soothing  and  satisfactory 
from  their  point  of  view. 

By  any  one  of  these  three  methods  you  would 
produce  the  average  advertisement,  whose  prin- 
cipal fault  is  not  that  it  is  not  good  enough  — 
but  that  it  is  far  too  good! 

37 


ADVERTISE! 


Few  of  the  piano  buyers  of  the  world  are 
psychologists,  a  small  percentage  of  them  are 
musicians,  and  none  of  them  own  a  piano  busi- 
ness. 

The  men  and  women  who  are  going  to  read 
your  advertisement  know  nothing  about  "asso- 
ciation of  ideas,"  or  the  "laws  of  attention." 

Many  of  them  never  looked  inside  of  a  piano 
and  would  not  know  a  sounding  board  if  they 
saw  one. 

Few  of  them  have  ears  trained  to  recognize  an 
over-tone. 

Many  of  them  never  even  heard  of  Chopin. 

None  of  them  care  whether  the  piano  factory 
is  large  or  small,  or  whether  the  owner  walks  to 
work  or  rides  in  a  limousine. 

But  practically  everybody  has  at  one  time  or 
another  sat  down  in  front  of  a  piano  and  picked 
out  "Peter,  Peter,  Pumpkin  Eater."  Now  here 
is  a  simple  little  incident,  drawn  from  common 
experience  —  amusing  or  pathetic,  as  you  make 
it,  but  easily  grasped  by  every  man,  woman,  or 
child.  It  might  be  a  child  making  its  first 
attempt  at  melody.  It  might  be  a  man,  worn 
by  the  day's  care,  sitting  down  in  front  of  an 
instrument  and  diverting  his  mind  from  the 
dollars-and-cents   grind.     It   might   be   an   old 


THE    ACID    TEST    OF    ADVERTISING 


"Peter,  Peter,  Piunpkin  Eater  I" 


89 


ADVERTISE! 


person  turning  back  once  more  to  the  simple 
things  of  childhood. 

However  you  may  employ  it,  and  whatever 
you  may  add  to  drive  home  your  message  about 
the  joy  of  pianos  and  the  superiority  of  your 
pianos,  you  have  met  your  public  at  a  point  of 
contact,  where  you  at  once  get  their  interest 
and  their  understanding.  You  have  an  ad  that 
contains  an  element  of  human  interest. 

The  Acid  Test  of  a  good  advertisement  is 
this: 

Does  it  contain  an  element  of  real,  live, 
human  interest?  Is  there  something  about  it 
as  familiar  as  your  favorite  chair  in  your  own 
home?  Something  that  reminds  you  of  the 
first  tree  you  ever  climbed;  the  first  girl  you  ever 
kissed;  some  familiar  humorous  or  pathetic, 
present  or  past  incident  that  pertains  to  each 
and  every  being  who  walks  on  two  legs  and  has 
the  gift  of  language.  Maybe  it's  something 
that  arouses  your  curiosity  or  tells  you  what 
you  didn't  know,  in  a  simple  but  surprising 
way  —  but  there  has  to  he  a  central  idea  about 
an  advertisement  that  is  positively  certain  to  grip 
the  interest  of  any  reader  whose  eye  happens 
upon  it. 

As  a  piece  of  literature  ^or  art  it  may  be  bad 
40 


WANTED 

EOVCPiTBO   t>t\^t4 

-FOR ^ 

HIGH      SAl-AaieO 

POSITION 


O 


h 


''But  I  ain't  had 
no  training!'' 


41 


ADVERTISE! 


and  still  be  a  good  advertisement,  if  it  has  this 
one  essential  human-interest  point. 

Suppose  you  were  advertising  for  a  corre- 
spondence school,  you  might  use  bad  grammar 
with  telling  effect.  Make  a  picture  of  a  business 
house  on  which  is  a  sign  reading,  "Wanted, 
educated  man  for  high  salaried  position."  A 
man  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets  is  standing 
sadly  in  front  of  the  building,  saying,  ''But  I 
'aint  had  no  training." 

That's  a  good  ad,  because  it  emphasizes  his 
lack  of  education.  It  is  exactly  what  the  man 
would  say.  It  is  true  to  life.  It  sends  your 
point  home.  How  much  better  than  an  ad- 
vertisement that  told  you  about  the  "Handicaps 
of  a  lack  of  education." 

It  is  because  of  these  simple  things  that  go 
"  beneath  the  skin,"  that  an  inelegant  ad 
written  by  a  blacksmith  often  does  ^business 
where  the  polished  advertisement,  fresh  from 
the  psychological  laboratory,  fails  to  pull. 

The  trouble  with  a  great  deal  of  advertising 
is  that  there  is  too  much  so-called  "psychology" 
in  it,  and  too  little  plain  common  sense. 

The  advertising  writer  steeps  himself  in 
sciences,  and  goes  at  his  subject  from  a  formid- 
able,   unfamiliar    angle.     He    is    letter-perfect, 

4^ 


THE    ACID    TEST    OF    ADVERTISING 

art-perfect,  even  type-perfect  —  but  he  talks  the 
foreign  language  of  the  would-be-learned.  He 
aeroplanes  over  the  heads  of  his  readers.  * 

Not  every  advertising  man  is  a  psychologist. 
Not  every  psychologist  is  a  successful  advertiser. 

There  is  grave  cause  for  the  business  man  to 
shake  his  head  and  cry,  "Let's  cut  out  this 
theory  stuff.  Put  the  punch  in  it,  'give  it  a 
kick'  —  make  it  red-blooded." 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Select  six  advertised  articles  which  you  regularly  pur- 

chase, such  as  soap,  shoes,  household  utilities,  food, 
candy,  and  determine  why  you  prefer  each  to  other 
articles  of  the  same  class. 

2.  Determme  whether  or  not  the  advertisements  of  the 

articles  cover  the  reasons  for  your  preferences.    * 

3.  Study  each  article  and  write  in  100  words  the  reasons 

for  your  preference. 

4.  Cut  your  themes  to  50  words. 

5.  Cut  them  to  25  words. 

6.  Can  you  put  them  into  10  words  each  ? 

7.  Can  any  of  them  be  expressed  in  one  or  two  words? 


43 


CHAPTER  V 

DANGER  SIGNALS  IN  ADVERTISING 

The  greatest  of  all  advertising  dangers  is 
that  your  advertising  will  not  be  read. 

Most  advertisers  go  upon  the  mistaken  theory 
that  when  an  advertisement  is  written,  space  is 
paid  for,  a  booklet  published,  a  letter  sent,  —  an 
audience  is  assured.  A  newspaper  or  a  maga- 
zine can  guarantee  its  circulation,  but  no  publi- 
cation can  guarantee  readers  of  advertising. 
The  mere  fact  that  a  costly  advertisement, 
occupying  large  space,  is  published  in  The 
Saturday  Evening  Post,  is  no  guarantee  that  it 
will  be  read.  Neither  is  this  a  sign  that  it  is  a 
good  advertisement.  Some  very  poor  advertise- 
ments are  published  in  the  most  costly  publica- 
tions, while  a  large  proportion  of  all  advertising 
is  probably  less  than  50  per  cent  efficient. 

And  all  this  is  largely  due  to  the  mistaken 
idea  that  advertising,  once  written,  is  sure  to  be 
read. 

The  sad,  silent  fate  of  advertising  that  is 
never  read  is  scarcely  to  be  realized,  because  no 
one  says  anything  about  it,  and  the  people  who 
pay  for  it  go  on  taking  it  for  granted  that  it  is 

44 


DANGER    SIGNALS    IN    ADVERTISING 

read.  This  is  particularly  true  of  spasmodic 
advertisers,  who  have  so  little  to  waste  and  are 
so  profligate.  It  is  pitiful  to  see  people  throw- 
ing money  away  in  advertising  when  it  is  not 
only  probable,  but  certain  from  the  very  outset, 
that  they  will  never  get  a  response. 

Advertising  is  like  any  other  kind  of  business 
investment.  It  must  pay  dividends  and  it 
ought  to  pay  right  from  the  start.  The  adver- 
tising that  does  not  pay  that  way  is  at  least 
weak,  if  not  a  positive  failure. 

'  You  can  put  it  down  as  a  fact  that  a  common- 
place advertisement,  in  fine  print,  is  certain  not 
to  he  read. 

If  you  are  a  second  Shakespeare,  and  yet 
know  nothing  about  display,  or  type  arrange- 
ment and  size,  your  advertising  will  still  have 
small  chance  of  being  read. 

In  newspaper  or  magazine  advertising,  in  a 
choice  between  good  display  and  good  copy,  the 
readers  will  give  preference  to  the  display,  be- 
cause it  will  *' catch  the  eye,"  because  they  have 
weak  eyes,  and  because,  being  easy  to  read,  it 
entails  less  work.  (See  chapter  on  "The  Eye 
in  Advertising.")  Advertising  writers  may  show 
as  much  originality  in  display  as  in  copy. 

Common-placeness  is  the  first  danger  in  copy- 

45 


ADVERTISE! 


writing.  It  disguises  under  the  *' glittering 
generality,"  hackneyed  articles  on  "service,"  on 
"quality,"  and  the  long  familiar  rows  of  super- 
latives, meaning  nothing.  If  you  want  to  avoid 
being  common-place,  make  your  advertising  as 
different  as  possible  from  the  advertising  you 
read. 

To  get  away  from  the  common-place,  you 
don't  have  to  be  "clever,"  or  to  be  "funny,"  or 
to  be  particularly  deep  —  all  you  need  to  aim 
at  is  to  be  human.  Think  of  the  real,  down- 
right, common  sense  reasons  why  the  people  you 
are  advertising  to  might  want  the  thing  you  are 
advertising.  Think  of  the  reasons  you  know 
they  already  have,  arid  think  of  others  they 
might  have  if  they  only  thought  of  them. 

Take  for  example  the  advertising  of  chairs. 
The  usual  way  to  advertise  chairs  is  to  list 
prices,  or  to  describe  the  sort  of  chair,  talking 
of  its  various  good  points.  Now  you  can  think 
of  a  hundred  reasons  for  buying  new  chairs. 
For  example,  think  of  the  homes  where  every 
chair  in  the  house  hits  you  between  the  shoulders, 
or  places  you  in  some  awkward  position.  Think 
of  the  men  who  would  stay  at  home  evenings 
if  they  got  into  comfortable,  inviting  chairs  — 
the  sort  they  are  sure  to  find  at  the  club,  or  in  a 

46 


DANGER    SIGNALS    IN    ADVERTISING 

hotel  lobby.  Think  of  the  beaux  who  would 
linger  longer  if  the  chairs  were  so  comfortable 
they  hated  to  go.  Think  of  the  setting  the 
right  sort  of  chair  can  give  the  clever  hostess, 
showing  her  to  the  best  advantage  in  her  most 
fascinating  poses.  Think  of  the  really  wonder- 
ful, vital,  radical  changes  in  lives  that  the  out- 
fitting of  one  home  with  really  comfortable 
chairs  might  make!  When  you've  thought 
about  this  simply  human  side  of  chairs,  and 
injected  it  into  your  copy,  you  will  have  a  chair 
advertising  campaign  that  will  grip  readers! 

Suppose,  again,  you  were  advertising  wall- 
paper! Who  has  ever  gone  into  the  becoming 
and  unbecoming  sides  of  the  wallpaper  business  ? 
Why,  a  woman  with  only  a  small  degree  of  vanity 
might  be  inspired  to  repaper  her  whole  house 
when  called  upon  to  consider  the  wallpapers 
from  this  point  of  view! 

Make  plain  and  easy  to  understand  every- 
thing you  want  your  readers  to  remember  — 
and  that  means  your  entire  advertisement  from 
start  to  finish. 

Many  writers  attempt  to  be  so  clever  that  no 
one  knows  what  they  are  driving  at,  except  a 
few  of  their  competitors  who  are  not  possible 
customers. 

47 


ADVERTISE! 


All  forms  of  negative  advertising  are  danger- 
ous, because  they  nearly  always  produce  the 
exact  opposite  of  the  effect  desired.  Here  are 
a  few  examples: 

A  man  desiring  to  advertise  real  estate  wrote 
an  entire  booklet  on  the  possibility  of  getting 
cheated  on  a  mining  investment.  He  told 
about  salted  mines  and  fake  promotion  schemes 
in  such  detail  that  the  reader  was  sure  to  be 
impressed  with  his  deep  knowledge  on  this  for- 
bidden subject,  and  he  closed  his  booklet  by 
stating  that  his  real  estate  was  not  this  sort  of 
proposition.  Probably  no  one  but  the  author 
arrived  at  the  real  estate  exit ! 

A  safety  deposit  vault  company,  desiring  to 
advertise  that  if  the  whole  world  were  to  burn 
it  would  still  be  standing,  attempted  this  thing 
on  bill  boards.  The  direct  suggestion  was  this 
—  put  your  valuables  in  that  vault  and  you 
would  be  assured  of  destruction  by  fire. 

You  see  the  associated  ideas  in  all  this  nega- 
tive advertising  are  bad  and  dangerous.  Avoid 
them  like  poison. 

Advertising  that  does  not  consider  the  public's 
prejudices  is  dangerous.  You  are  writing  to 
narrow-minded,  argumentative  people,  with  set, 
pre-conceived  ideas,  just  as  much  as  you  are 

48 


DANGER    SIGNALS    IN    ADVERTISING 

writing  to  broad-minded  citizens,  but  one  thing 
is  certain,  that  you,  the  advertising  writer,  must 
be  broad-minded  enough  to  take  all  this  into 
account.  Don't  start  any  controversies  with 
your  would-be  customers.  Catholic  and  Prot- 
estant; Jew  and  Gentile;  Democrats  and  Repub- 
licans —  all  these  people  have  money  to  spend, 
and  you  must  keep  in  mind  their  weak  points, 
for  they  compose  your  reading  public.  Just  as 
the  newspaper  goes  through  copy  to  take  the 
libel  out,  so  you  should  go  through  your  copy  to 
take  out  every  line  that  might  offend  any  reader. 

There  is  another  problem  for  you:  You  must 
be  inoffensive,  but  you  must  be  strong.  You 
must  not  have  it  said  of  your  advertising  that 
the  best  thing  about  it  is  that  "there's  no  harm 
m  it. 

You  are  not  in  the  publicity  business  as  an 
advertising  writer.  Get  all  the  publicity  you 
can,  because  it  will  bring  you  good  indirect 
returns,  but  what  you  have  to  produce  is  direct, 
easy-to-put-your-finger-on  returns,  and  you  must 
not  let  money  slip  away,  hoping  that  people  will 
talk  about  you,  when  what  you  need  is  to  have 
them  buy  your  goods.  Talking  about  goods 
and  buying  goods  are  not  the  same  thing,  and 
it  takes  many  times  the  amount  of  publicity  — 

49 


ADVERTISE! 


whole  fortunes  of  it  —  to  accomplish  the  work 
of  a  well-planned  advertising  campaign. 

You  must  reckon  with  the  future  in  advertis- 
ing a  business.  Advertising  is  a  veritable 
magician's  wand  for  any  one  expert  in  the  art 
and  reckless  of  a  good  name.  This  has  been 
demonstrated  time  and  again,  by  fake  medical 
schemes,  anti-fat  concerns,  etc.  Advertising  is 
like  a  mint  for  a  man  who  knows  how  to  write  it. 
But,  some  people,  fortunately  for  the  world,  are 
particular  as  to  how  they  make  their  mon<3y. 
Despite  the  articles  on  the  necessity  for  the 
truth  in  advertising,  there  is  a  surprising  amount 
of  honesty  and  truth  in  business,  when  you  con- 
sider the  great  temptations  offered  to  depart 
therefrom.  Consider  the  reputation  of  your 
concern,  in  every  piece  of  copy  you  write.  It 
would  be  possible  to  start  a  great  advertising 
campaign  that  would  bring  immediate  returns 
but  would  mean  the  future  ruin  of  a  business. 

There  is  too  little  calculating  in  advertising. 
Take  for  example  a  butter  concern  that  put  a 
butter  horse  in  a  dry  goods  window  during  a 
horse  show  week.  Crowds  stood  in  fascinated 
awe  before  the  man  who  moulded  the  horse  in 
the  window.  The  concern  flattered  itself,  as 
did  the  dry  goods  house,  that  they  were  getting 

50 


DANGER    SIGNALS    IN    ADVERTISING 

an  immense  amount  of  publicity.  So  they 
were  —  but  they  paid  for  it.  Women  began  to 
talk,  and  said,  *'Well,  if  that's  the  way  they 
handle  their  butter,  we  don't  want  it."  Men 
stopped  eating  butter  at  restaurants. 

Make  your  meaning  clear.  You  should  take 
enough  space  to  make  plain  what  your  advertise- 
ment is  about.  Generally  this  is  not  so  much  a 
matter  of  space  as  a  difficulty  of  statement. 
People  do  not  spend  much  time  thinking  — 
certainly  not  about  advertising.  Do  not  take 
one  single  thing  for  granted  with  your  readers. 
Be  very  easy  to  understand  in  everything  you 
say,  and  say  as  little  as  possible.  Every  word 
costs  money. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Look  rapidly  through  three  magazines  and  newspapers 

and  select  the  three  advertisements  which  compelled 
your  attention. 

2.  Determine  whether  your  eye  was  caught  by  type, 

wording,  illustration,  or  combination. 

3.  Select  six  advertisements  published  in  negative  word- 

ing and  substitute  positive  wording. 

4.  Pick  out  advertisements  that  you  think  would  offend 

prejudices  and  change  them  so  that  they  will  not. 


51 


CHAPTER  VI 

LAYING  OUT  A  NEWSPAPER  OR 
MAGAZINE  ADVERTISEMENT 

If  you  were  a  tailor  about  to  fashion  a  new 
suit,  the  first  thing  you  would  do  would  be  to 
take  the  measurements  of  the  person  who  was 
to  wear  it  and  make  a  pattern.  Without 
measurements  and  a  pattern  you  might  have  too 
much  material,  or  too  little  material,  and  you 
would  have  positively  no  assurance  that  the 
garment  you  made  would  fit  the  person  who  was 
to  wear  it.  No  good  tailor  would  ever  think  of 
guessing  about  the  size!  The  entire  style  of  a 
garment  depends  more  than  anything  else  upon 
the  fit. 

Just  so  does  "the  style  of  an  advertisement" 
(its  general  appearance)  depend  upon  the  fitting 
of  the  type  matter,  cuts,  etc.,  into  the  space. 

Also  upon  the  space  depends  the  cost  of  your 
advertisement!  And  because  the  space  is  the 
most  valuable  of  materials,  it  is  necessary  at 
the  start  that  you  have  an  exact  pattern. 

To  make  your  pattern,  or  layout,  you  will 
find  it  convenient  to  have  the  following  tools: 
a  drawing  board;   thumb  tacks;  a  "T"  square; 

5^ 


LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 

a  triangle;  one  or  more  rulers;  manila  paper 
in  newspaper-sheet  sizes;  editor's  pencils;  art 
gum;   scissors  and  paste. 

It  will  be  of  great  assistance  to  mark  the  backs 
of  rulers  into  columns,  also  to  mark  your  "T" 
square  and  triangle  into  columns  and  agate-line 
rulings. 

A  newspaper  column  is  ^^  inches  wide  in  most 
papers.  This  is  the  standard  measurement, 
but  a  few  papers  and  many  magazine  columns 
vary. 

Newspapers  and  magazines  measure  width  by 
columns  and  depth  by  the  "agate  line."  The 
best  way  to  fix  the  agate  line  in  your  mind  is  to 
remember  that  there  are  14  agate  lines  to  the 
inch.  It  is  a  fourteenth  of  an  inch.  Thus,  if  a 
newspaper  rate  w^ere  10  cents  per  agate  line,  it 
would  be  $1.40  per  inch.  If  your  advertisement 
measured  in  depth  so  many  inches  plus  a  frac- 
tion of  an  inch,  you  would  be  billed  for  14  lines 
for  each  inch,  plus  as  many  lines  as  the  fraction 
of  an  inch  equalled. 

The  agate  line  is  a  convenient  standard  of 
depth  measurement  and  should  become  as 
familiar  to  you  as  "peck,"  "pint,"  "inch,"  or 
any  other  common  measurement. 

After  pinning  your  paper  to  your  drawing 

53 


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board  by  putting  a  thumb  tack  through  each 
corner,  the  first  thing  to  decide  is  the  size  of 
your  ad. 

First  measure  off  your  width,  then  after  point- 
ing off  the  depth  draw  the  border  Une  of  your 
advertisement. 

You  must  remember  that  many  papers  and 
magazines  have  rules  as  to  required  depth.  For 
example,  in  some  cities  an  ad  may  not  be  wide 
and  shallow.  Newspapers  require  that  an  ad 
3  columns  wide  must  be  60  lines  deep,  4  columns 
wide,  100  lines  deep,  etc.  This  information 
you  must  have  in  order  that  your  advertisement 
may  meet  requirements. 

If  you  are  not  sure,  it  is  better  to  be  on  the 
safe  side  and  plan  your  advertisement  to  be 
deeper  than  it  is  wide.  In  general,  you  will  find 
this  shape  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  and  admitting 
of  better  proportion  in  layout. 

After  making  your  outline,  determine  next 
where  your  cuts  go,  if  you  are  using  cuts. 

The  name  of  the  firm,  often  known  as  a  "  signa- 
ture" or  *'  signature  cut, "  is  entitled  to  a  position 
that  attracts  immediate  attention  (unless  you 
have  reason  for  concealing  the  identity  of  the 
advertiser) .  In  a  small  advertisement  —  say 
anything  under  100  lines  deep  by  4  columns 

54 


LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 

wide  —  the  name  may  well  go  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ad.  In  larger  ads  it  is  well  to  place  it  at  or 
near  the  top.  (See  chapter  on  "The  Eye  in 
Advertising.") 

You  will  now  have  a  general  idea  as  to  how 
much  matter  —  always  called  "copy" — you 
can  write.     You  will  next  write  your  copy. 

The  only  indication  that  the  printer  has  as  to 
how  you  wish  this  copy  set-up  (as  it  appears  in 
paper)  is  the  way  you  mark  the  copy  and  the 
layout. 

To  go  back  to  our  tailoring  illustration, 
remember  that  the  style  of  your  advertisement 
is  just  as  important  as  the  style  of  a  garment. 
Most  people  would  rather  wear  a  stylish  gar- 
ment of  inferior  material  than  an  ill-fitting 
garment  of  good  material.  So,  no  matter  how 
good  the  copy  you  have  written,  unless  your 
layout  is  equally  good,  or  better,  you  will  have 
a  poor,  perhaps  an  unreadable  ad;  you  will  be 
at  the  mercy  of  the  printer  —  and  even  the  best 
of  printers  is  seldom  paid  to  furnish  you  original 
layouts. 

Make  up  your  mind  to  conquer  this  layout 
business.  It  is  hard,  because  it  is  technical. 
But  it  is  infinitely  worth  your  while. 

The  various  parts  of  your  copy  are  known  as 

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ADVERTISE! 


"takes."  You  should  number  your  takes,  1,  2, 
3,  etc.  Put  corresponding  numbers  on  your 
layout,  or  where  you  wish  this  copy  to  appear. 

It  will  be  an  advantage  to  the  printer  to  have 
your  copy  legibly  written,  on  one  side  only,  on 
paper  of  uniform  size,  if  possible  to  have  one 
"take"  to  the  sheet.  If  you  cannot  write  your 
copy  this  way  in  the  original,  you  can  cut  it  and 
paste  it  to  make  each  "take"  separate. 

Write  the  instructions  on  the  "take"  as  to 
how  that  particular  "take"  is  to  be  set.  You 
can  work  out  your  own  system  of  making  this 
plain,  but  if  your  copy  is  typewritten,  instruc- 
tions may  be  either  noted  in  pencil  or  written 
with  red  ink  or  typewriter  ribbon. 

While  your  various  takes  carry  your  specific 
instructions  to  the  printer,  your  layout  must 
have  all  the  general  instructions.  Your  lay- 
out should  give  the  printer  or  the  foreman  an 
exact  picture  of  how  your  ad  will  look  when  set. 

As  in  handling  your  proof,  so  with  your  lay- 
out, make  your  instructions  on  the  margin  and 
circle  them.  Draw  a  line  from  a  part  to  be 
ruled  in  ("boxed"),  indicating  what  rule  you 
wish  used. 

The  smallest  rule  is  a  hairline,  and  the  rules 
go,  as  the  type,  in  "points."     If  your  type  is 


LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 

very  light,  then  you  should  use  light  rules,  unless 
there  is  something  you  wish  to  stand  out 
from  the  ad.  If  your  type  is  heavy,  you  should 
use  3,  4,  or  6-point  rules,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Also,  you  must  indicate  what  border  rule  you 
wish  used  about  the  advertisement.  As  a 
general  thing,  this  should  be  about  a  3-point 
border,  at  least,  in  order  to  make  it  distinct  from 
other  matter.  Then  indicate  your  margins 
(white  space)  about  cuts,  copy,  etc. 
,  Draw  the  outline  of  cuts  and  mark  which  they 
are,  or  number  them,  or  paste  proofs  of  them  on 
the  layout.  Draw  in  the  lines  for  your  heads 
and  copy  just  as  they  are  to  go.  Let  this  lay- 
out be  a  real  picture.  Nothing  but  the  drawing 
and  the  numbers  of  your  takes  must  be  on  it. 
Write  the  instructions  in  the  margin. 

If  you  have  never  laid  out  an  advertisement, 
do  not  let  this  dismay  you.  Do  not  let  printers 
persuade  you  to  leave  it  to  them.  It  is  better 
to  make  a  few  initial  mistakes  iand  get  your 
experience.  You  will  soon  become  accustomed 
to  the  technical  part  of  it,  and  you  will  never 
learn  unless  you  keep  doing  it  yourself.  Re- 
member, you  can  always  correct  your  proofs. 

On  your  first  advertisement  layout,  you  had 
better  give  these  instructions: 

57 


ADVERTISE! 


"3-pt.  border  rule  all  around  ad;  1^-pica  margin 
about  ad,  boxes,  and  cuts." 

If  you  are  using  a  large  head,  leave  at  the  top 
of  your  ad  a  space  the  size  of  your  type.  That 
is,  suppose  you  were  using  a  36-point  head,  then 
leave  a  36-point  space,  or  half  an  inch,  at  the  top 
of  your  advertisement. 

Your  greatest  difficulty  will  be  in  estimating 
your  space.  In  order  to  do  this,  you  must 
become  familiar  with  the  various  sizes  and  sorts 
of  type.  You  will  learn  a  great  deal  by  getting 
acquainted  with  the  printers  and  by  actually 
seeing  them  handling  your  job.  This  you  will 
readily  find  occasion  to  do. 

But,  before  you  can  acquire  this  information 
from  the  school  of  long  experience,  there  is  much 
about  type  that  you  will  need  to  know,  and 
which  if  you  do  not  know,  perhaps  no  one  will 
ever  tell  you. 

Type  is  based  on  the  "point  system.  You  can 
get  the  best  conception  of  a  "point"  by  remem- 
bering that  there  are  72  points  to  the  inch. 
Therefore,  36-point  type  is  one-half  an  inch  tall, 
72-point  is  an  inch  tall,  etc.  Get  this  fixed 
firmly  in  your  mind,  as  it  will  do  much  to  help 
you  in  your  type  study. 

Printers  generally  adopt  pica  as  a  standard  of 

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LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 

measurement.  Thus  they  rule  by  pica,  a  column 
being  12  J  picas  wide.  Pica  is  12-point  type,  or 
one-sixth  of  an  inch.  It  is  twice  the  size  of 
nonpareil,  or  6-point.  You  can  obtain  from  a 
type  foundry  a  pica  ruler  which  will  be  of  assist- 
ance in  your  work  of  measuring. 

"Body"  type  is  the  type  in  which  the  body 
of  your  matter  is  set.  This,  of  course,  is  much 
smaller  than  your  heads.  Body  type  in  books, 
papers,  etc.,  is  8-point,  10-point,  or  12-point. 
Anything  below  8-point  is  very  hard  to  read. 
(See  chapter  on  "The  Eye  in  Advertising.") 

Printers  also  use  the  term  "em"  for  type 
measurement.  Thus  they  speak  of  so  many 
"ems,"  referring  to  "ems"  of  the  size  of  type 
used. 

In  order  to  figure  out  just  how  much  matter 
will  go  in  a  given  amount  of  space  in  a  certain 
size  type,  you  must  count  all  the  letters  and 
spaces. 

After  a  short  time  you  will  readily  learn  to 
estimate  with  your  eye  for  smaller  type,  that  is, 
8  or  10-point.  But,  your  first  difficulty  will  be 
to  make  your  heads  short  enough  to  display  well. 

You  can  quickly  measure  the  depth  of  type 
by  remembering  that  72-point  is  an  inch.  If 
you  had  a  head  of  two  lines  of  36-point,  two 

59 


ADVERTISE! 


lines  of  24-point,  one  line  of  18-point  and  four 
lines  of  12-point,  you  would  have  a  head  of 
^3^  inches  deep  (not  allowing  for  the  white 
space  between  the  lines). 

The  following  type  table  gives  a  carefully 
worked-out  estimate  of  the  number  of  letters  and 
spaces  contained  in  various  widths  and  depths 
in  the  different  sizes  of  commonly  used  types. 
You  will  find  this  table  invaluable  for  everyday 
use.  Copy  it  on  your  typewriter,  paste  it  on 
pieces  of  cardboard,  and  keep  it  in  your  oflSce 
for  daily  reference.  It  will  save  you  from  many 
typographical  pitfalls. 


Type  Table 
8-PoiNT  Body  Type 


Across 


1  col 

l^col 

2  col 

1    inch 

1  \  inch 

2  kich 

Depth 

2  lines \  inch 

3  lines |  inch 

4  lines \  inch 

5  lines f  inch 


Letters  and  AUowing  margins 

space  at  sides 

.  .29 li  picas 

.  .47 2    picas 

.  .71 3    picas 

.  •  17 1  i  picas 

..23 2    picas 

.31 3    picas 


and  so  on,  about  \  of  an  inch 
for  each  additional  line;  9  lines 
to  every  inch. 

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LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 


10-PoiNT  Body  Type 

X  =  Across  Letters  and  Allowing  margins 

spaces  at  sides 


X  2  inches 20 li  pi 

X  2  inches 18 2    p 

X  2  inches 16 3    p: 

X  1  col 28 lip 

Zlcol 24 2    p 

Zl  col 20 3    p 

X  l\  col.  (3|-i  in.) 42 1|  p 

X  \h  col.  (31-i  in.) 40 2    p 

X  U  col.  {S\-\  in.) 33 3    p 

Z2col 54 l^p 

Z2col 52 2    p 

X2col 46 3    p 

X  n  col.  (5f  iA.) 75 Up 

Z2^col 73 2    p 

X2^col 69 3    p 


cas 
cas 
cas 

cas 
cas 
cas 

cas 
cas 
cas 

cas 
cas 
cas 

cas 
cas 
cas 


X3col 91 1^  picas 

X  3  col 89 2    picas 

Z  3  col 85 ••  .3    picas 

Caps  10-point  Bold  face  x  \h  cols. .  .34  letters  and  spaces 
10-point  Bold  face  x  2    cols. .  .  40  letters  and  spaces 
10-point  Bold  face  x  3    cols. .  .  65  letters  and  spaces 
Depth 

2  lines |  inch         9  lines 1|      inch 

3  lines \  inch       11  lines W-l  inch 

5  lines f  inch       14  lines 2     inches 

7  Imes 1   inch       18  lines 2^-1  inch 

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12-PoiNT  Body  Type 

X  =  Across  Letters  and  Allowing  margins 

spaces  at  sides 

X  \\  inches 13 1  ^  picas 

X  \h  inches .  10 2    picas 

X  1 1  inches 6 3    picas 

X  2  inches 19 1  ^  picas 

X  2  inches 16 2    picas 

X  2  inches . 13 3    picas 

X  1  col 24 \\  picas 

X  1  col 22 2    picas 

XI  col 32. 3    picas 

X  l^col 38 1|  picas 

X  1^  col 36 2    picas 

X  1^  col 32 3    picas 

X2col 50. 1^  picas 

X  2  col 48 2    picas 

X  2  col 42 3    picas 

X  2^  col.  (5im.) 66 2    picas 

3    picas 


X2icol 62 


Depth 

2  lines I  inch  6  lines  1^  inch 

3  lines ^  inch  7  lines  . \\   inch 

4  lines |  inch  8  lines \\   inch 

5  lines |  inch  9  lines 1^   inch 

1^  pica  em  margin  is  almost tV  inch 

2  pica  em  margin  is  almost yV  inch 

3  pica  em  margin  is  almost \   inch 

62 


LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 


14-PoiNT  Body  Type 

X  =  Across  cols.  Letters  and  Allowing  margins 

spaces  at  sides 

Z2  col 40 li  picas 

Z  2  col 38 2    picas 

X  2  col 35 3    picas 

X  3  col 57 3    picas 

X  4  col 86 3    picas 

Depth  Depth  Depth 

2  lines,  |  inch        6  lines,  1  \  inch         10  lines,  2  inches 

18-PoiNT  Body  Type 
Z  4  col 87 3    picas 

Depth 

3  lines f  inch 

Headlines 

12-PoiNT  Heads 

X  =  Across  cols.  Letters  and 

spaces 

X  1  inch 10 Flush 

X  2  inches 21 Flush 

1  col 18 Easy 

licol 26 Easy 

2  col 42 Easy 

2^  col 56 Easy 

3  col 62 Easy 

18-PoiNT  Heads 

XI  col 13 Easy 

X  1^  col .20 Easy 

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ADVERTISE! 


X  2    col 26 Easy 

X  ^h  col 34 Easy 

XS    col 38 Easy 

X  4>    col 61 Easy 

X  5    col 68 Easy 

24-PoiNT  Heads 

Z3col 26 Easy 

Z4col 42 Easy 

X5col 56 Easy 

36-PoiNT  Heads 

Z  3  col 20 .Easy 

Z4col ^ 28 Easy 

X  5  col 37 Easy 

X  6  col 40 Easy 

48-PoiNT  Heads 

Z3col 14 

Z4col 21 

Z5col 27 

Combination  Heads 

48  on  top  Approximate  depth 

1-48,     1-36,     1-24 2^  inches 3    picas 

36  on  top  '  Margins 

2-36,  2-24,  1-18  and  4-12.  .4f  inches h    inch 

2-36,  2-24 2i  inches 3    picas 

1-36,  2-24 1|  inches 3    picas 

1-36,  1-24,  1-18 21  inches 3    picas 

1-36,  1-24 If  inches 3    picas 

1-36,  1-18 li  inches 1|  picas 

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LAYING    OUT    AN    ADVERTISEMENT 


24  on  top 

2-24,  2-12 2t^  inches 3    picas 

1-24,  1-18,  2-12 If  inches 1^  picas 

1-24,  1-18 11-^^  inches 3    picas 

1-24,  3-12 If  inches 3    picas 

1-24,  2-12 1  i,  i  inches 1  ^  picas 

1-24,  1-12 1|  inches 1  ^  picas 

18  on  top 

6-18,  3-12 3^  inches 3    picas 

3-18,  3-12 2i-H  inches 1^  picas 

2-18,  2-12 li,  J  inches 1|  picas 

1-18,  2-12 If  inches 1 1  picas 

1-18,  1-12 IxV  inches 1^  picas 

1-18,  1-12,  etc. 

The  type  table  was  compiled  by  E.  Da  vies  Morley,  and  is  very  useful 
in  estimating.     The  author  has  devised  a  ruler  for  the  same  purpose. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Cut  out  six  advertisements.     Paste  them  on  a  large 

sheet  of  paper  and  mark  opposite  the  various  head- 
ings and  takes  the  size  of  type  used. 

2.  Cut  out  a  large  department  store  advertisement  in 

dupUcate.  Cut  up  one  and  retain  one  for  compari- 
son. Take  a  large  sheet  of  paper,  the  size  of  the 
advertisement,  and  briefly  mark  in  a  new  layout, 
pasting  the  various  takes  with  their  headings  on 
separate  pieces  of  paper  (of  uniform  size)  and  marking 
corresponding  numbers  on  the  big  layout  sheet  or 
dummy. 

3.  Could  you  improve  the  headings  by  making  any  of 

them  larger  or  smaller  .^^     In  your  opinion  is  there 
65 


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ADVERTISE! 


sufficient  white  space  in  this  big  advertisement  in  its 
original  form?  Is  the  type  in  any  place  too  small 
for  you  to  read  easily  ?  Are  there  any  lines  of  type 
in  the  advertisement  too  long  to  be  read  at  a  glance  ? 

4.  Cut  out  a  book  review.     Rewrite  as  an  advertisement 

and  make  a  layout  four  columns  wide  by  140  agate 
lines  deep. 

5.  Cut  out  an  advertisement  and  make  a  new  layout  for 

twice  the  space  used.  Mark  up  the  same  wording 
and  rearrange  with  illustration,  if  any,  to  fit  your 
new  layout. 

6.  Make   another  layout  for  the    same    advertisement 

occupying  half  its  original  space.  If  you  cannot 
get  in  all  the  words  rewrite  the  advertisement,  re- 
taining the  sense. 

Reference.  —  See  American  Type  Foundry  Specimen 
books. 


68 


CHAPTER  VII 
DESIGNING   THE  LAYOUT 

If  you  were  arranging  the  furniture  in  a  room, 
you  would  not  put  a  piano,  a  davenport,  and  a 
library  table  on  one  side  of  the  room,  and  a  frail 
chair  on  the  other. 

If  you  did,  the  room  would  look  too  "heavy" 
on  one  side.  The  furniture  arrangement  would 
throw  the  whole  room  "out  of  balance."  Bal- 
ance is  the  arrangement  of  weight,  either  actu- 
ally or  optically,  that  establishes  equilibrium. 

Every  human  being  has  an  instinct  for  bal- 
ance. Unconsciously  employed,  this  feeling  for 
balance  is  a  matter  of  self-preservation.  It  is 
literally  the  thing  that  keeps  you  on  your  feet. 
Consciously  used,  it  is  an  artistic  principle. 
Whenever  or  wherever  this  feeling  for  balance 
is  upset,  the  eye  is  displeased,  and  the  effect, 
even  though  not  analyzed,-  is  unpleasant.  It 
gives  the  observer  the  same  disturbed  feeling  as 
though  he  saw  a  building  about  to  topple  into 
the  street,  or  some  one  getting  off  a  street  car 
backwards. 

So  if  your  advertisement  is  going  to  be  attrac- 
tive, you  must  reckon  with  balance. 

69 


ADVERTISE! 


The  simplest  way  to  obtain  balance  in  your 
advertisement  is  to  make  it  exact.  You  can 
place  on  one  side  of  your  ad  just  the  same  sort 
of  display  that  you  place  on  the  other  side.  You 
can  make  the  optical  weight  even.  In  an 
exactly  balanced  advertisement  everything  cor- 
responds: boxes,  heads,  size  of  type,  amount  of 
reading,  cuts,  and  white  space,  exactly  the  same 
on  both  sides  of  the  ad.  This  is  a  very  neat 
advertising  arrangement.  If  you  are  a  beginner 
and  unaccustomed  to  balance,  it  may  be  well  to 
start  with  the  principle  of  exact  balance  in  mind. 
It  has  the  disadvantage  of  sameness,  but  is 
infinitely  better  than  an  ad  out  of  balance. 

Theoretically,  there  are  three  points  of  bal- 
ance: the  center,  the  top,  and  the  bottom. 

The  center  is  the  usual  point  of  balance. 
You  can  best  fix  this  in  mind  by  imagining  a 
"teeter-totter."  Too  much  weight  at  either 
end  will  disturb  the  stability.  So,  you  must 
avoid  making  a  center-balanced  ad  top-heavy 
or  bottom-heavy,  just  as  carefully  as  you  avoid 
throwing  the  sides  out  of  balance. 

Were  you  to  select  the  more  unusual  points 
of  balance,  the  top  or  bottom,  you  should 
remember  that  an  ad  balanced  from  the  top  is 
like  hanging  a  curtain.     It  must  seem  to  be 

70 


DESIGNING    THE    LAYOUT 

suspended.  Therefore  it  will  appear  well  if  you 
leave  white  space  at  the  bottom.  An  advertise- 
ment balanced  at  the  bottom  must  seem  to  rest 
solidly,  like  a  building  on  its  base,  therefore  you 
can  leave  a  good  white  space  at  the  top,  to 
increase  this  effect. 

You  will,  however,  deal  in  the  main  with 
advertisements  balanced  at  the  center. 

The  sameness  of  the  usual  exactly  balanced 
ad  is  monotonous,  and  monotony  is  a  thing  to 
be  avoided  by  every  possible  means.  In  order 
to  obtain  variation  and  maintain  good  balance 
you  may:  balance  cuts  with  boxes;  heavy  type 
with  boxes  or  cuts;  shapes  against  cuts  or  white 
space;  or  you  may  place  a  large  group  at  balanced 
distance. 

Color  will  balance  by  intensity.  In  your 
newspaper  work  you  are  dealing  with  white 
space,  black  type,  gray  type,  gray  half-tones, 
and  black  line  drawings.  A  gray  group  should 
be  twice  as  large  to  balance  a  black  group,  etc. 

You  will  also  have  to  be  careful  to  see  that 
your  white  space  is  distributed  in  balanced 
amounts  through  your  advertisement. 

When  you  have  mastered  the  theory  of 
balance,  you  will  have  conquered  your  first  great 
artistic  obstacle. 

71 


ADVERTISE! 


There  are  many  other  ideas  that  you  may 
borrow  from  the  artist  to  make  your  advertising 
appear  to  better  advantage;  practically  all  of 
the  fundamental  principles  of  design  can  be 
usefully  and  effectively  employed  in  advertising. 
For  example,  you  should  never  break  an  adver- 
tisement at  the  center,  with  box,  line,  cut,  or  any 
optically  striking  type.  Put  this  display  either 
above  or  below  the  center,  and  you  will  greatly 
increase  the  effectiveness  of  your  work.  You 
may  use  the  golden  proportion,  in  boxing  or 
general  layout,  "The  shorter  is  to  the  longer,  as 
the  longer  is  to  the  whole,"  with  good  effect. 

You  will  find  1,  3,  or  5  cuts,  or  spots  of  any 
sort  (type,  boxes,  etc.),  more  effective  than  the 
even  multiples.  In  placing  boxes,  rules,  and 
type  groups,  you  can  easily  arrange  to  have  line 
follow  line.  You  can  also  choose  shapes  that 
will  go  together  and  make  the  whole  effect  of 
your  ad  like  one  harmonious  design,  balanced, 
yet  varied. 

You  will  find  certain  shapes,  certain  types, 
certain  heaviness  or  lightness  of  type,  cut,  etc., 
particularly  suited  to  the  subject  which  you  have 
to  handle.  For  example,  perpendicular  lines 
denote  dignity,  strength,  etc.;  horizontal  lines 
are  restful;   diagonal  lines  show  action.     Heavy 

72 


DESIGNING    THE    LAYOUT 

type  is  suited  to  coal,  machinery,  etc. ;  light  type 
for  millinery,  flowers,  jewelry,  etc. 

You  will  choose  border  rules  and  box  rules 
of  thickness  corresponding  to  the  thickness  or 
blackness  of  the  type  you  are  using,  and  your 
cuts  will  go  with  type  and  rules.  The  more 
experienced  you  become,  the  more  "finicky" 
you  will  be  in  these  little  details. 

Above  all,  you  will  insist  that  the  printer 
follow  your  instructions  to  a  line.  You  will 
realize  that  a  box  loses  its  value  when  your  ad 
is  a  series  of  boxes.  You  may  use  circles, 
squares,  triangles,  and  other  shapes  for  em- 
phasis. You  will  remember  that  size  of  type, 
color,  shape,  and  position  are  the  four  means  of 
emphasis,  and  you  will  not  use  more  than  one  to 
emphasize  any  one  thing.  You  will  thus  avoid 
a  common  fault  —  over-emphasis. 

In  regard  to  the  type,  you  must  insist  that 
your  ad  be  not  set  in  more  than  one  face  of  type 
(unless  you  particularly  specify  it  for  emphasis 
or  in  combination).  Many  advertisements  look 
like  a  page  from  a  type  specimen  book. 

Insist  upon  designing  each  and  every  layout, 
and  by  carefully  observing  these  rules  you  will 
find  the  appearance  of  each  successive  adver- 
tisement more  and  more  attractive. 

73 


ADVERTISE! 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Cut  out  three  advertisements  illustrating  exact  bal- 

ance, varied  balance,  top  balance,  bottom  balance. 

2.  Cut  out  half  a  dozen  advertisements  and  copy  these 

designs  on  layout  papers  —  indicating  type  and 
heads  by  fine  Hues  —  illustrations,  etc.,  with  pen- 
ciled shapes. 

3.  Rearrange  the  layouts  in  several  pleasing  designs  and 

compare  your  new  layouts  with  the  originals. 

4.  Make  three  original  layouts   for    advertisements    to 

occupy  quarter-page  space  in  newspapers. 

5.  Refer  to  the  work  you  did   with  newspaper  layouts 

in  the  preceding  chapter  and  see  if  you  can  think 
of  more  pleasing  layouts. 

6.  Glance  at  the  advertisements  you  have  collected  for 

your  study  and  note  the  good  points  of  design. 

7.  Write  an  advertisement  to  occupy  a  page  space  in 

your  favorite  magazine  and  lay  it  out  with  (a)  exact 
balance,  (6)  with  varied  balance,  (c)  with  balance 
at  top,  {d)  with  balance  at  bottom. 

Note.  It  will  be  well  to  sketch  out  your  size  space  before  writing 
the  advertisement.  You  may  find  it  convenient  to  change  your  wording 
to  suit  your  grouping  —  thus  keeping  your  design  in  mind  from  the 
outset. 

Reference.  —  See  Principles  of  Advertising  Arrangement, 
by  Frank  Alvah  Parsons. 


74 


Bottom  Balance 


76 


Exact  Balance 
77 


CHAPTER  VIII 
WRITING  THE  HEADLINES 

Much  of  your  success  as  an  advertising 
writer  will  depend  upon  your  skill  in  writing 
headlines  or  '*  heads." 

In  its  final  analysis,  the  principle  of  advertis- 
ing writing  is  almost  identical  with  that  of 
head-writing,  the  art  of  condensed  statement. 

From  first  to  last  you  will  have  to  get  a  great 
deal  into  a  very  little  space.  Therefore  you  will 
try  to  say  much  in  a  few  words.  You  will  need 
to  choose  your  words  carefully  and  learn  to  use 
one  word  where  you  formerly  used  ten.  Yet, 
with  all  this,  your  ad  must  not  seem  curt.  It 
must  not  read  like  a  telegram.  But  when 
completed  you  should  have  the  assurance  that 
you  could  not  have  said  the  same  thing  and  left 
out  one  word  —  that  every  single  word  was 
needed. 

In  writing  heads,  it  is  necessary  to  adjust  the 
head  to  the  width  of  the  space.  Even  if  you 
have  so  much  money  to  spend  in  advertising 
that  you  can  write  your  whole  ad  without 
glancing  at  a  layout,  yet  when  it  comes  to  th<: 

79 


ADVERTISE! 


head,  you  will  be  compelled  to  stop  and  consider 
the  layout. 

There  are  three  ways  in  which  you  may  tell  your 
story  in  an  advertisement;  in  your  copy,  in  your 
cuts,  and  in  your  heads.  The  best  writer  tells  it  in 
all  three  ways,  so  that  he  who  runs  may  read. 

Your  heads  should  emphasize  points  which 
pertain  most  vitally  to  your  copy  and  which  will 
most  surely  interest  your  readers. 

A  good  way  to  practice  writing  your  first 
heads  is  to  take  a  newspaper  article  (called 
"story"),  cut  off  its  present  head,  and  write,  in 
a  few  words,  a  statement  of  what  the  story- 
contains.  Compare  what  you  have  written  with 
what  the  newspaper  copy-reader  has  written  and 
note  the  difference  between  your  heads  and  his. 
Now  this  newspaper  copy-desk  man  is  a  clever 
fellow,  and  you  will  have  to  write  a  very  good 
head  to  improve  upon  his.  Count  the  letters 
and  spaces  in  his  head  and  in  your  own.  When 
you  have  reached  the  point  where  you  can  write 
as  good  a  head  as  the  newspaper  man,  that  will 
fit  in,  as  his  does,  to  the  required  number  of 
letters  and  spaces,  you  have  learned  to  write 
heads.  Nothing  but  constant  practice  will 
teach  you  this  art. 

If  you  will  make  a  habit  of  reading  newspaper 

80 


WRITING    THE    HEADLINES 

heads,  you  will  find  that  every  head  tells  the 
story  in  a  few  words,  or  hints  at  it  in  such  a  way 
as  to  arouse  your  curiosity.  Many  people  never 
do  anything  but  *' glance  at  the  headings  in  the 
paper."  They  are  news-gleaners.  Now  if  these 
people  will  only  glance  at  headings  in  actual 
news  stories,  think  how  interesting  you  will 
have  to  be  to  compel  them  to  read  advertising! 

You  must  write  better  heads  than  the  news- 
paper man,  better  heads  than  the  magazine 
man,  better  heads  than  the  author!  You  must 
surpass  all  these  trained  writers,  in  head  writ- 
ing, or  how  can  you  hope  to  induce  your  public 
to  read  your  advertisements  in  preference  to 
their  literary  matter  ? 

Make  up  your  mind  to  excel  in  head  writing. 
Your  heads  must  be  remarkably  good.  They 
may  even  be  startlingly  sensational. 

The  heading 

Satisfied  Employees  Give  Good  Service 
is  poor,  because  "  service  "  is  hackneyed,  and  the 
whole  thing  tells  you  what  the  man  who  wrote  it 
wants  to  preach  to  you  about.     But  the  heading 

She  was  Always  so  Kind 
over  a  human-interest  story  about  a  good  sales- 
woman retired  by  Wanamaker's,  tells  the  same 
story  in  a  way  that  "goes  straight  home." 

81 


ADVERTISE! 


You  can  get  a  great  deal  of  human  interest 
into  your  heads.  You  can  address  your  heads 
to  certain  faiUngs  that  you  know  every  human 
being  possesses. 

As  a  matter  of  principle,  avoid  generalities. 
The  man  who  advertises  men's  clothing  with  th^ 
headline  "Anxiety"  is  not  a  particularly  good 
student  of  human  nature.  One  is  amazed  to 
find  a  heading  advertising  camouflage  for  a 
steamship  company  to  the  effect  that  men  in 
South  America  buy  their  clothing  in  the  United 
States ! 

If  "durability"  were  a  commodity,  instead  of 
a  rather  dull  word,  it  would  certainly  have  a  big 
sale,  as  page  after  page  is  devoted  by  the  most 
profligate  of  advertisers  to  "durability."  The 
Saturday  Evening  Post  fairly  screams  that  staid 
word  from  its  advertising  columns. 

Make  your  head  tell  specific  facts,  Dont  talk 
about  them!  Tell  them.  Break  right  into  the 
most  exciting  part  of  your  story!  Feature  the 
unusual!  Suppose  you  had  but  a  few  words  to 
say,  and  had  to  interest  the  person  you  were  ad- 
dressing, you  would  not  waste  time  or  money  on 
commonplaces.     Then  don't  do  it  in  your  ad. 

You  will  find  that  the  most  common  head  you 
will  use  will  be  the  news  head.     Tell  something 


WRITING    THE    HEADLINES 

interesting  in  this  head.     Here  are  a  few  ex- 
amples of  news  heads  that  get  the  business: 

He  Hurried  to  Chicago  for 
Sixits  &  Overcoats  for  Men 

Mr.  Mason's  Automobile  will  go  through  the 

best  part  of  Detroit  on  the  way  borne  to 

Belmont  Place! 

Little  Dutch  Girls  Sometimes  wear  as  many  as 
Seventeen  Petticoats! 

Clothes  that  will  stand  the  Test  of  the 
most  Strenuous  Political  Discussion! 

If  you  lived  in  Soho  your  Rank  would  be 

determined  by  the  Sort  of  Parasol 

you  carried! 

Mr.  Jonas  Hanway  was  the  First  Man  to  walk 
the  Streets  of  London  under  an  Umbrella. 

Future  Man  will  Sleep  Less  —  says  Edison 

Pick  Your  Favorite  From 

These  50  Good  Style 

Skirts! 

Biff!    Bang!     Whizz!     A  Whirl! 

and  a  Jig! 

Toyland  Opens  Tomorrow! 

Your  practice  in  rewriting  heads  for  newspaper 
stories  will  teach  you  to  make  them  effective. 
You  will  learn  that  the  head  must  pertain  to  the 

83 


ADVERTISE! 


copy  and  must  fill  the  reader  with  the  desire  to 
read  what  is  written  beneath.  If  you  fail  to 
catch  the  passing  interest  with  your  head,  you 
will  never  get  your  advertisement  read  unless 
your  reader  is  looking  for  it.  (In  that  case  the 
office  boy  might  as  well  write  the  advertisement!) 

Much  of  the  "punch"  of  advertising  goes  into 
the  head.  It  must  be  convincing.  It  must  be 
believable. 

For  example,  the  writer  who  spends  $5.00 
displaying  in  large  type  the  line: 

It  is  a  fact 

is  clearly  wasting  his  money.  It  tells  the  reader 
nothing.  It  is  a  "glittering  generalty,"  and  of 
course,  it  is  followed  up  with  something  that  is 
very  obviously  not  a  fact. 

Right  here  is  one  mistake  advertising  writers 
are  prone  to  make.  They  forget  that  the  reader 
is  shrewd,  often  suspicious,  and  has  often  been 
duped  and  misled  by  "gold  brick"  advertising. 

Very  strong  heads  may  be  written  that  appeal 
to  the  bargain  spirit,  without  using  the  word 
bargain,  or  making  unbelievable  claims  for  the 

merchandise. 

» 
V  Before  That  Run  of  Winter  Colds, 

X        Get  Your  Family  Supply  of  Handkerchiefs 
\  84 


WRITING    THE    HEADLINES 

Many  clever  appeals  may  be  made  to  home- 
makers  and  home-lovers.  Take  for  instance 
these  heads: 

The  Proper  Settings  in  the  Home  Enhance 

Every  Charm  of  Woman! 

Dark  Haired  Women!     Light  Haired  WomenI 

Red  Haired  Women! 

Here  are  ideas  for  all  of  you  I 

Plan  your  Porch  Settings  with 
Poster  Color  Effects 

Make  Your  Home  Cool  and  Restful 

by  Taking  Out  the 

GLARE! 

That  Gift  to  the  Home 
A  Comfy  Chair  for  Father's  Christmas 

Great  Breezy  Sale  of  Housefumishings 
That  Whistles  in  Like  a  March  Wind  ^ 

In  your  heads  you  can  always  effectively 
appeal  to  the  vanity  of  either  woman  or  man, 
particularly  the  former.  These  are  heads  that 
appeal  to  the  vanity: 

A  Man  Ought  to  Choose  such  a  Conspicuous  Thing 
as  his  Hat  with  Care! 

Is  your  Outing  Costume  Picturesque  or 

Grotesque? 

85 


ADVERTISE! 


Putty-Colored  Complexions  are  Not  Becoming! 

999  Times  out  of  looo,  it's  the  Well  Dressed 
Woman  the  Men  Admire! 

Some  Hats  take  Ten  Years  from  a  Woman's  Age! 

Madam,  Are  You  Correctly 
Dressed  for  the  Street? 

Nothing  in  a  Woman's  Wardrobe 

is  More  Important  Than  her  Every 

Day  Suit 

A  Poor  Corset  Would  Ruin  the  Figure 
of  Venus  Herself 

Many  people  are  easily  appealed  to  by  super- 
stitions; for  instance: 

These  Lucky  Elephants  Carry 
Good  Luck  in  Their  Trunks 

Good  Luck  for  Those  Who  Wear 
Everything  New  Easter 

Your  heading  may  be  very  unusual  and  arouse 
curiosity.  These  heads  are  also  usually  newsy 
in  tone;  for  instance: 

Several  Men  Have  Bought 
Human  Hair  Switches 

Women  Dare  Not  be  Bald! 
86 


WRITING    THE    HEADLINES 


Unfortunately  for  Hirsch,  he  was  a  German 
in  Paris,  when  War  Broke  Out! 

How  Many  Will  Come  Back? 

Would  He  Linger  Longer 
in  a  More  Comfortable  Chair? 

With  proper  illustrations  (cuts)  you  can  make 
good  conversational  headings.  Say  the  things 
people  would  naturally  say;  for  instance: 

"  Yes,  Mamma  got  Papa  that  Comfortable 
Chair  at  (name  of  store)  " 

"  Does  a  Man  Take  Off  His  Hat  in 
This  Store?  " 

"  My  Wife  travels  107  Miles  to  save 
Money  Shopping  at  (name  of  store)  " 

"  Say,  what  will  you  take  for  those  Two  Lots 
of  yours  in  Belmont  Place?  " 

"  There's  Mrs.  So-and-so  in  Another  New  Hat  I " 

If  you  want  to  carry  out  some  central  idea,  you 
may  have  all  your  heads  written  to  fit  in. 

For  example,  in  a  one-page  Christmas  ad  the 
words  "Love,"  "Joy,"  "Peace,"  and  "Merrie 
Christmas,"  were  lettered  in  old  English,  and 
all  sub-heads  were  written  to  give  the  advertise- 
ment the  real  Christmas  spirit. 

87 


ADVERTISE! 


Before  or  after  you  have  written  your  head, 
you  will  have  to  decide  upon  its  shape.  When 
you  become  expert,  you  will  know  the  shape 
while  you  are  writing  the  head,  but  at  first  you 
will  probably  have  to  write  the  head  and  then 
adjust  it  to  the  space. 

First  come  your  great  heads  for  a  full-page 
advertisement,  which  must  be  strong;  and  if 
they  are  good,  straight-from-the-shoulder,  selling 
copy,  they  will  more  than  pay  for  the  space  used 
for  their  display. 

There  are  six  distinct  types  of  plain  heads. 
These  are  shown  in  outline  on  page  89. 
One  line  in  large  type  is  called  a  "ribbon"  head. 

These  heads  may  be  combined  in  various 
ways,  or  set  as  "fancy  combination"  heads. 
Pyramids  look  well  under  sliding  heads,  as  in 
newspaper  use,  etc.  In  general,  similar  heads 
on  corresponding  parts  of  advertisements  are 
used  for  balance,  and  the  entire  ad  has  a  neater 
appearance  if  the  heads  are  uniform.  But  a 
variation  may  be  used  for  emphasis  with  telling 
effect.  At  the  beginning  you  will  do  well  to  use 
the  simplest  effects. 


WRITING    THE    HEADLINES 

Type  of  Heads 
Type  1.   The  Even  Line  Head  


Type  2.   The  SUding  or  Step  Head 


Types.   The  Pyramid  Head  Co^  "0  - 

CC ^^^ S: 


Type  4.   The  Side  Head  (set  flush 
on  either  side) 


Type  5.   The  Hanging  Indention 
Head 


Type  6.   The  Title  Head 


ADVERTISE! 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Cut  the  single  column  heads  off  a  half  dozen  news- 

paper stories  and  write  headings  with  the  same 
number  of  letters  and  spaces.  (The  "space"  be- 
tween the  words  is  counted  as  one  letter.) 

2.  Cut  out  three  stories  whose  headings  are  written  in 

two  columns  and  write  new  headings  for  two  col- 
umns —  in  same  number  of  letters  and  spaces. 
(In  each  instance  compare  your  heads  with  the 
originals  for  interest.) 

3.  Consult  the  page  on  type,  and  note  the  sizes  indicated 

and  where  capital  letters  ("caps")  are  used. 

4.  Write  three  pyramid  headings  for  (a)  a  three-column 

advertisement,  (6)  for  a  four-column  advertisement, 
(c)  for  a  six-column  advertisement. 

5.  Write  three  sliding  or  step  heads  for  the  same  ads. 

6.  Write  three  even  and  flush  headings  for  three  adver- 

tisements of  from  one  to  six  columns  inclusive. 

7.  Write  two  hanging  indentions  and  title  heads  for  any 

advertisement  in  your  collection. 

8.  Write  a  "freaked"  heading  combining  the  pyramid 

and  step  heading. 

9.  Cut  out  the  headings  of  six  advertisements  and  change 

the  wording  and  style  of  heading.  (Fit  your  type 
to  the  space  without  reference  to  the  original.) 

10.  Referring   to   former    layouts    and    advertisements, 

can  you  improve  the  headings? 

11.  Write  (a)  a  news  head;  a  sensational  head;  (6)  a  head 

that  will  arouse  curiosity;  (c)  a  head  that  arouses 
vanity. 

Note.     It  will  be  advisable  to  make  small  layouts  before  writing* 
your  heads,  drawing  them  in  roughly  with  pencil. 

90 


II 


3«, 


(f 


Once  Upon  a  Time  a 
Man  Received  a  Christ- 
mas Present  and  Left  It 
Unopened  Upon  the 
Top  of  His  Desk  for 
Six  Whole  Months! 

— But hewas  hardly  human. 

— Or  perhaps  he  suspected  that  it  was  the 
unsmokable! 

— ^Next  worst  to  the  imsmokable  is  the  unwearable. 

—Now  Daniels  &   Fisher^s   Men's    Shop   has   thQ 
sort  of  things  a  man  wants  and  wears. 

Note  the  Hiunan  Interest  of  this  Heading 

91 


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ADVERTISE! 


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04 


CHAPTER  IX 
WORDING  THE  ADVERTISEMENT 

One  word  may  make  or  mar  an  advertisement. 

In  good  advertising  copy,  there  is  nearly 
always  some  one  word  that  stands  out,  marked 
above  every  other  word  for  its  originality, 
daring,  fitness  —  or  all  three.  Without  that 
word,  the  advertisement  would  be  a  weak,  flat, 
ordinary  piece  of  work. 

Usually  this  word  is  a  short,  easily-understood 
word,  used  with  a  peculiarly  happy  aptness. 
Such  a  word  may  bristle  with  action,  or  allure 
with  subtlety,  but  in  its  final  analysis  it  carries 
with  it  indirect  suggestion  that  is  worth  whole 
written  columns  of  the  usual  sort. 

To  attain  desirable  brevity  in  advertising,  the 
study  of  words  is  indispensable.  Instead  of 
using  more  words,  use  words  that  imply  and 
suggest  more.  Replace  long,  hard-to-under- 
stand  words  with  short,  forceful,  catchy  terms. 

Be  sure  that  the  wording  of  your  advertise- 
ment makes  the  meaning  perfectly  plain.  It  is 
far  better  that  your  advertisement  should  be 
commonplace  than  that  it  should  be  misleading 
or  above  the  heads  of  the  readers,     Just  as  the 

9^ 


ADVERTISE! 


budding  newspaper  writer  is  warned  against 
"fine  writing,"  so  the  advertising  student  must 
be  warned  against  attempting  "literature."  No 
educated  person  is  offended  by  the  use  of 
famihar,  simple  language,  but  long  words  of 
Latin  or  Greek  origin,  or  classical  or  literary 
references,  will  go  right  over  the  heads  of  your 
buying  public. 

While  you  must  very  often  hint  at  your 
meaning,  you  must  hint  in  such  a  way  that  no 
one  will  mistake  you.  Take,  for  example,  that 
Gold  Medal  Flour  advertisement  —  "Eventu- 
ally —  Why  not  now.^"  The  words  "Why  not 
now,"  send  home  the  indirect  suggestion  of 
' '  Eventually . ' '  Indirect  advertisements  are  tell- 
ing, because  they  say  so  little  —  and  the  less 
they  say  the  more  people  will  remember.  This 
is  the  great  power  of  the  "slogan"  or  the  catch 
phrase.  But  an  indirect  advertisement  is  gener- 
ally a  flash  of  inspiration.  If  your  indirect  •work 
does  not  plainly  convey  just  the  meaning  you 
want  to  give  it,  make  the  advertisement  direct. 
Be  sure  it  is  plain  and  easily  understood  by  every 
reader.  (See  the  chapter  on  "Suggestion  in 
Relation  to  Advertising.") 

The  tendency  of  every  advertising  writer  is 
to  exaggerate,     If  he  honestly  believes  what  he 

96 


WORDING    THE    ADVERTISEMENT 

is  writing,  he  is  tempted  to  over-state  in  order  to 
convince.  Unfortunately  this  has  the  opposite 
effect.  An  exaggerated  statement  does  not 
carry  conviction.  A  man  will  be  more  impressed 
with  the  statement,  "better  than  most  25-cent 
tobacco,"  than  he  will  by  the  claim,  "the  best 
tobacco  on  earth." 

Note  the  advertisements  for  accountancy  and 
other  business  courses  offered  to  the  ambitious 
through  magazine  advertisements.  Young  men 
exclaim  in  the  advertisements,  "And  now  I 
make  $100,000  a  year!"  The  advertisements 
always  ask  if  you  want  a  $50,000  a  year  position, 
or  would  like  to  make  $1000  a  week. 

This  is  not  only  sheer  exaggeration,  but  it  is 
bad  advertising,  because  few  young  men  or 
women  are  so  conceited  or  so  ignorant  as  to 
believe  that  such  tremendous  salaries  would  be 
paid  them  after  taking  the  courses  offered.  It 
would  be  £ar  better  to  place  a  more  reasonable 
sum  before  their  eyes  —  say  $52.50  a  week  — 
something  believable.  It  is  too  big  a  jump  for 
the  mind  of  a  man  behind  some  counter  —  from 
$15  a  week  to  $50,000  a  year.  Should  such  a 
thing  actually  happen  to  a  young  man  after  a 
short  period  of  study,  he  might  become  un- 
balanced mentally!     The  advertising  man  may 

97 


ADVERTISE! 


think  in  terms  of  "$50,000  a  year,"  but  he  is 
$45,000  over  the  heads  of  his  most  ambitious 
readers,  and  frequently  more. 

The  advertising  writer  who  keeps  his  state- 
ments within  the  bounds  of  possibihty  will  find 
himself  almost  refreshingly  original!  The  man 
who  writes  a  strong  advertisement  must  believe 
what  he  writes.     He  must  be  an  optimist. 

The  man  whose  copy  put  3-in-One  Oil  on  the 
list  of  advertising  successes  was  always  thinking 
of  new  uses  for  3-in-One.  This  man  personally 
used  3-in-One  so  extensively  that  his  fellow 
workers  in  the  agency  that  handles  the  account 
said  he  shaved  with  it  and  used  it  as  salad 
dressing ! 

Keep  away  from  "glittering  generalities." 
Don't  claim  "world-beaters"  and  "best-on- 
earths."  It  is  so  easy  to  say  you  have  the  "best 
something  or  other  in  the  world,"  and  to  describe 
it  in  glowing  superlatives. 

That  is  just  what  all  your  competitors  are 
doing,  and  just  what  wearies  the  reading  public. 
Make  your  statements  specific.  Give  actual 
facts,  and  you  will  find  them  far  more  convincing. 
A  man  who  is  going  to  buy  a  hat  will  be  more 
easily  enticed  by  an  advertisement  of  a  hat 
^'that  looks  well  at  any  angle  you  wear  it"  — 

98 


WORDING    THE    ADVERTISEMENT 

than  by  the  advertisement  of  "the  best  hats  in 
town." 

The  Chicago  store  that  advertised  a  "Sale  of 
Merit,"  overlooked  the  fact  that  "Merit"  is 
something  you  cannot  sell,  and  would  have 
created  more  interest  and  been  less  common- 
place had  it  merely  said  "A  Sale  of  Women's 
Suits." 

"A  Petticoat  that  is  wide  enough  to  walk  in, 
but  won't  gather  under  your  skirt,"  is  far  better 
.than  an  advertisement,  "See  Our  Wonderful 
New  Petticoats." 

Give  specific  facts.  They  are  far  more  inter- 
esting. Also,  they  are  more  difficult  to  write, 
because  the  writer  has  to  know  something  about 
what  he  is  writing.  You  will  find  hundreds  of 
hackneyed  words  that  you  should  omit;  for 
example,  such  as  "service"  and  "quality." 
Such  words  used  in  a  heading  are  ineffective, 
because  they  have  been  worked  to  death,  and 
every  reader  will  think  he  knows  what  you  are 
going  to  say  without  reading  it  —  hence  he  will 
skip  it.     Cut  out  every  unnecessary  word. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.   Select  twelve  advertisements  which  depend  for  their 

interest  upon  the  use  of  some  original  phrase. 

99 


ADVERTISE! 


2.  Indicate  the  strongest  word  used  in  each  advertisement. 

3.  What  one  word  in  all  twelve  would  make  the  strongest 

appeal  to  you  ? 

4.  Write  down  twelve  words  which  you  might  use  in  ad- 

vertising each  of  the  following  articles:  tea,  bread, 
automobiles,  stockings,  chairs,  pianos,  real  estate, 
books,  kitchen  stoves,  rugs,  jewelry,  embroideries, 
tacks. 

5.  Select  six  advertisements  from  newspapers  and  sub- 

stitute for  their  present  wording,  statements  which, 
in  your  opinion,  would  be  more  convincing.  Give 
the  reasons  for  your  changes. 

6.  Make  a  list  of  twelve  unusual  but  easily  understood 

words  which  you  think  might  be  used  to  advertise 
articles. 

7.  Write  opposite  each  of  your  words  the  sort  of  appeal 

connected  with  it  —  or  the  mental  picture. 

References.  —  Handbook  of  Composition  by  E.  C.  Wool- 
ley;  Business  English  by  Rose  Buhlig. 


100 


CHAPTER  X 

COMPARATIVE  PRICES  IN  ADVER- 
TISING 

All  comparative  prices,  or  no  comparative 
prices?  On  this  question  nearly  every  adver- 
tiser seems  to  be  an  extremist. 

The  man  who  permits  no  comparative  prices 
in  his  advertising  says  right  out  that  the  one 
who  does  is  a  Har. 

Most  of  the  much  discussed  "truth  in  adver- 
tising" circles  round  this  one  debatable  question. 

But,  verily,  truth  is  stronger  than  compara- 
tive prices,  and  the  same  fellow  who  assumes 
the  "holier  than  thou"  attitude  on  comparisons, 
will  turn  other  tricks,  perhaps,  to  make  his 
profits  higher. 

There  is  no  question  that  the  comparative 
price  business  has  been  overdone,  and  that  the 
public  is  tired  of  the  continual  sale.  It  has  lost 
its  force  through  its  monotony  and  its  evident 
lying.     The  public  has  lost  confidence. 

But  there  has  also  been  gross  exaggeration  as 
to  the  extent  to  which  stores  have  gone  in  this 
question.  There  are,  at  times,  good  reasons 
why  articles  are  reduced  and  sold  at  actual  cost 

101 


ADVERTISE! 


or  less  than  cost.  Sometimes  a  store  becomes 
overstocked;  sometimes  the  weather  brings 
about  a  situation  where  it  is  better  to  let  go; 
sometimes  a  manufacturer  is  forced  to  sell. 
There  are  scores  of  reasons  why  good,  honest 
sales  may  and  actually  do  take  place. 

Human  nature,  despite  all  discussion,  has  not 
changed,  and  never  will  change  as  to  the  bargain 
instinct.  Every  man  and  every  woman  loves 
a  bargain. 

All  store  advertising  should  be  dealt  with 
from  a  news  viewpoint.  Everything  that  hap- 
pens, or  is  about  to  happen,  in  a  store  is  of  news 
interest  to  the  public.  The  best  advertising 
investment  possible  for  a  store  lies  in  its  new, 
just  received  merchandise,  with  the  full  profits 
on.  These  things,  properly  displayed  and  ad- 
vertised in  a  tempting,  descriptive,  newsy  man- 
ner, will  be  sure  to  sell  at  their  full  face  value, 
and  there  will  be  far  less  need  for  sales  which  eat 
into  profits  and  increase  the  cost  of  advertising. 

Many  store  advertising  managers  figure  that 
the  old  merchandise  should  be  advertised.  New 
merchandise,  they  argue,  will  take  care  of  itself. 
While  they  are  advertising  their  perennial  sales 
of  old  merchandise,  at  reduced  prices,  no  one 
hears  a  word  about  the  new  things  coming  into 

102 


COMPARATIVE    ADVERTISING    PRICES 

the  store,  which  get  old  before  they  are  men- 
tioned ! 

New  articles  should  be  used  to  pique  the 
curiosity  of  the  public,  and  to  tempt  people 
through  their  very  freshness  and  desirability. 

Much  more  space  may  be  profitably  given  to 
a  new  article,  with  its  full  profit  on,  than  to  an 
old  article  reduced  in  price. 

To  quote  the  former  price  of  a  given  article 
is  merely  to  state  a  fact.  To  describe  this 
^.rticle  when  old  as  though  it  were  new,  and  try 
to  foist  it  off  as  a  new  article,  is  a  deception  — 
and  a  waste  of  advertising  space. 

Suppose  you  are  to  advertise  a  lot  of  hair 
combs  that  are  selling  for  $1.00.  For  some 
reason  you  reduce  them  to  50  cents.  The 
strongest  argument  for  these  combs  is  the  price 
argument,  "$1.00  combs  for  50  cents." 

Everybody  knows  the  sort  of  comb  you  mean. 
You  state  the  fact  and  leave  the  public  to  do 
the  rest  —  and  they  do  it.  Yet,  the  no-com- 
parative price  extremist  will  split  hairs,  over  the 
fact  that  these  combs  are  not  worth  $1.00  to 
him,  or  he  would  sell  them  for  $1.00.  Even  if 
he  is  using  these  combs  as  a  bait  to  get  people 
into  his  shop,  he  still  has  conscientious  scruples 
about  telling  the  plain  price  truth  about  them, 

103 


ADVERTISE! 


and  is  obliged  to  launch  into  a  quarter-column 
or  so  of  unprofitable  space  to  tell  people  they 
are  actually  $1.00  combs  without  mentioning 
the  $1.00. 

In  advertising  women's  wearing  apparel,  the 
price  argument  has,  perhaps,  been  most  abused. 
This  is  largely  because  the  advertising  writer 
has  lacked  the  ingenuity  to  be  tempting.  Once 
make  the  clothes  sufficiently  desirable  in  your 
advertising,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  say  very 
little  about  the  price  —  providing  always  that 
the  buyer  is  in  constant  touch  with  the  market 
and  the  merchandise  backs  up  the  advertising. 
But  when  weather,  market  conditions,  or  a 
special  purchase  brings  about  a  sale,  this  may 
and  should  be  advertised,  and  comparative 
prices  may  at  such  times  be  profitably  used. 
The  public  will  soon  be  able  to  discern  the  store 
that  is  following  an  honest  advertising  policy, 
and  comparative  prices  may  be  used  by  such  a 
store  without  fear. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Analyze  an  advertisement  of  the  largest  department 

store  in  your  city  and  select  a  price  argument  which 
might  have  been  presented  as  news. 

2.  Examine  some  article  of  merchandise  advertised,  such 

as  lace,  silk,  hose,  gloves;    note  the  quaUty  and 
104 


COMPARATIVE    ADVERTISING    PRICES 

selling  points.  Go  to  your  public  library  and  look 
up  some  references  on  the  subject  under  your  con- 
sideration. After  saturating  yourself  with  the 
facts  concerning  the  article,  write  half  a  dozen 
advertisements. 

3.  Referring    to    the    advertisement,    determine    about 

what  proportion  of  the  space  is  devoted  to  the  price 
argument. 

4.  How  many  articles  in  the  advertisement  are  pre- 

sented as  new  merchandise  ? 

5.  About  how  much  of  the  advertisement  would  have  a 

news  interest  for  you  ? 
-6.   Would  the  advertisement  impress  you  as  presenting 
better  merchandise  or  less  expensive  merchandise 
as  its  chief  appeal  ? 

7.  Compare    the    advertisement    with    those    of    other 

stores,  in  the  same  issue  of  the  same  paper.  Note 
the  difference  in  price  interest  and  news  interest. 

8.  Do  any  of  the  advertisements  offer  you  an  irresistible 

attraction,  and  if  so,  is  this  based  on  price  or  news 
interest  ? 

9.  Which    displays    of    prices    do    you    consider    most 

attractive  ? 

10.  Collect  ten  different  price  displays  which  stand  out. 

11.  Note  carefully  statements  that  fail  to  convince  you 

of  their  truth  and  give  your  reasons. 

12.  Rewrite  the  statements  noted  in  the  previous  question 

and  make  them  convincing,  —  stating  why  you 
have  made  the  changes. 


105 


Delighted 

Wee 

Spectators 

Watch 

Toyland's 

Wheels 
Whirl  Round 


This  is  surely  an  age  when  things 
mov«  in  cycles — tricycles,  bicycles, 
▼elooipedes,  etc.  Life  is  just  one 
round  of  merry  motion— one  great 
big  -wonderful  wheel.  Toyland  is 
just  full  of  wheels.  They  whirr, 
whirr,  whirr  from  8:30  a.  m.  to 
5:30  p.  m. 

Bring  the  kiddies — and  if  you 
want  to  dwell  for  one  gro^vn-np 
moment  in  a  magic  land  of  imag- 
ination, come  yourself. 

Be  sure  to  come  3*ourself !  There 
is  something  rafe  and  sane  and 
real  about  Toyland  not  to  bo 
found  many  other  places. 


LONG  LEGGED 

MAMIE 


WANTS 


Tricycle 


Girls  that  grow  fast  need  a  lot  of 
fresh  air,  too,  and  when  Mamie 
meanders  forth,  day  after  Christ- 
mas, on  a  brand  new  Daniels  & 
Fisher  tricycle,  she  will  be  filling 
her  lungs  with  the  sort  of  air  that 
will  help  her  toward  a  plump 
young  womanhood. 


No  prices  are  used  in  an  ad- 
vertisement of  this  kind 


106 


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107 


CHAPTER  XI 
PUTTING  IN  THE  GINGER 

If  you  were  going  to  entertain  an  epicure  at 
dinner,  and  you  desired  to  impress  him  with  the 
repast  set  before  him,  imagine  what  pains  you 
would  take  to  make  your  dishes  tempting.  You 
would  make  them  unusual;  you  would  flavor 
them  to  a  nicety;  you  would  serve  them  in  some 
original  way. 

In  advertising,  you  have  the  problem  of  tempting 
the  jaded  appetite  of  your  public,  and  any  adver- 
tisement may  be  said  to  be  strong  in  the  exact  ratio 
in  which  it  is  tempting. 

From  first  to  last  you  must  concentrate  on 
some  one  central  idea  that  will  be  most  apt  to 
make  your  public  want  the  thing  you  are  ad- 
vertising, for  without  this  result,  though  you 
have  an  Elbert  Hubbard  command  of  English 
and  are  not  gifted  with  the  power  of  temptation 
in  the  form  of  swift,  sure,  subtle  suggestion, 
your  advertisement  is  a  sheer  waste  of  money. 

Try  to  put  yourself  in  the  place  of  your 
readers,  and  think  of  the  suggestion  that  would 
make  you  want  the  article  most.  If  you  can 
not  get  an  idea  this  way,  then  start  an  argument 

108 


PUTTING    IN    THE    GINGER 

with  some  one  about  the  thing  you  are  going  to 
advertise.  Find  out  what  would  make  the  other 
fellow  want  it,  and  try  a  number  of  people  until 
you  have  some  real  idea  of  its  value  in  the  eyes  of 
others.  In  the  event  that  you  do  not  find  it  to 
possess  such  value,  then  make  up  your  mind 
that  the  thing  is  simply  not  advertisable.  At 
least,  you  are  not  the  proper  one  to  exploit  it. 

But  the  chances  are  that  you  will  find  only 
too  many  new  ideas  crowding  in  upon  you,  and 
you  will  then  have  to  decide  upon  how  to  con- 
dense and  make  them  as  strong  as  possible.  In 
your  analysis  of  good  advertising  you  will  find 
that  the  strongest  advertisements  are  short. 
For  this  reason  it  is  a  good  plan  to  rewrite  and 
rewrite  your  advertising  until  you  can  say  the 
most  in  the  fewest  possible  words.  Every  word 
that  does  not  positively  add  will  certainly  de- 
tract from  the  force  of  what  you  have  to  say. 

The  pulling  power  of  an  advertisement  often 
rests  upon  the  choice  of  a  single  word,  so  great 
is  the  power  of  suggestion.  (See  chapters  on 
"Suggestion  in  Relation  to  Advertising,"  and 
"Wording  the  Advertisement.") 

Go  through  your  advertisement  and  see  if 
there  is  any  place  where  you  have  made  a  nega- 
tive statement.     If  so,  turn  this  around  and  use 

109 


ADVERTISE! 


positive  suggestion.  For  example,  an  ad  for  a 
New  York  Bonding  Company  reads:  "Why 
Not  Prepare  to  Meet  Misfortune  ?  "  This  would 
be  far  less  ominous  and  far  more  effective  if  it 
should  read:  "Prepare  to  Take  Advantage  of 
Good  Fortune."  People  fly  from  misfortune. 
They  run  to  greet  good  fortune.  Don't  imagine 
that  you  can  preach,  moralize,  or  philosophize 
to  the  dear  public.     They  won't  be  bored. 

Be  sure  that  every  word  in  your  advertisement 
is  easy  to  read,  easy  to  understand,  and  intensely 
interesting.  If  you  do  not  seize  your  reader's 
interest  in  the  first  line  you  will  never  coax  it  at 
the  end  of  the  page.  You  have  but  one  chance 
—  sieze  it,  and  tell  your  story  quickly. 

Don't  mention  the  price  until  you  have  created 
the  desire.  And  remember  to  put  strong  selling 
suggestions  at  the  close  of  your  advertisement. 

Many  an  advertisement,  like  many  a  sales- 
man, falls  down  at  the  closing  point.  Keep  in 
mind  that  your  last  five  words  must  spur  your 
reader  to  action,  and  remember  that  any  sort 
of  action  on  his  part,  from  writing  for  a  booklet 
to  examining  your  article,  is  in  your  favor. 

You  must  take  into  consideration  the  char- 
acter of  the  thing  you  are  advertising.  For 
example  "safety"  is  not  a  tempting  word  to  use 

110 


PUTTING    IN    THE    GINGER 


Good  to  the  Last  Sip. 


in  connection  with  tea.  Nobody  ever  thought 
of  "unsafe  tea"  —  or  at  least  the  general  public 
never  thought  of  it  until  the  advertiser  suggested 
it.  The  temptation  to  tea  drinking  should  lie 
with  the  appetite,  not  with  the  intellect.  Here 
is  a  case  where  one  word  might  be  used  with 
telling  effect  —  Think  of  the  power  of  the  word 
"s-i-p."  It  is  a  word  easily  understood,  and 
yet  unusual.  Also  it  is  a  word  that  draws  a 
picture,  and  picture  words  are  doubly  suggestive. 
You  might  advertise  a  tea  with  the  words: 
"The  Sort  of  Tea  You  Enjoy  Sipping"  — or 
"Good  to  the  Last  Sip,"  and  all  the  thousand 
charming   ideas   connected   with   tea   drinking, 

111 


ADVERTISE! 


such  as  tete-a-tfetes,  delightful  yarns,  etc.  Then, 
take  the  well-known  fact,  never  used  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  writer,  that  Jonas  Hanway 
wrote  a  strong  indictment  against  the  habit  of 
tea  drinking  and  that  Samuel  Johnson  wrote 
one  of  his  most  celebrated  essays  in  its  defense. 
What  material  for  some  advertising  writer  that 
essay  must  contain! 

The  advertising  conducted  by  Funk  and 
Wagnal's  for  their  new  dictionary  was  exceed- 
ingly tempting,  because  it  directly  interested  the 
reader  in  a  study  of  his  own  use  of  words.  What 
man  is  so  word-perfect  that  he  will  not,  upon 
close  consideration,  discover  a  slip  ?  This  cam- 
paign, with  its  use  of  correct  and  incorrect 
expressions,  was  simply  bound  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  very  people  who  would  purchase 
the  dictionary. 

Human  action  is  the  unknown  quantity,  but 
you  can  safely  calculate  that  people  always, 
everywhere,  and  invariably  succumb  to  their 
strongest  temptations.  (Even  in  refraining  from 
one  temptation  they  are  succumbing  to  another 
which  prompts  them  to  refrain.)  It  therefore 
follows  that  if  your  advertisement  is  sufficiently 
tempting,  it  will  secure  a  response  as  certainly 
as  the  sun  will  shine. 

11^ 


PUTTING    IN    THE    GINGER 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Go  to  your  library  and  look  up  the  subject  of  honey. 

(You  will  be  provided  with  information  in  the 
reference  room.) 

2.  Write  six  advertisements,  occupying  quarter  pages  in 

newspaper,  calculated  to  promote  the  use  of  honey. 

3.  Suggest  illustrations  for  the  same. 

4.  Do  these  advertisements  make  you  personally  desire 

to  use  honey  more  frequently  and  in  greater 
quantity  ? 

5.  What  is  the  one  conspicuous  argument  for  the  greater 

use  of  honey  ? 

6.  Can  you  put  this  in  a  very  tempting  form  in  a  very 

few  words  —  less  than  ten  words  ? 

7.  Write  a  different  series  of  advertisements  for   (a) 

alfalfa  honey,  (6)  orange  honey,  (c)  clover  honey. 

8.  Glance  through  MaeterHnck*s  Life  of  the  Bee.     Do 

you  find  material  here  for  future  honey  adver- 
tisements ? 

9.  Compare  your  work  on  honey  with  advertisements  on 

corresponding  subjects  and  note  the  difference  in 
advertisements  where  the  writer  has  knowledge  of 
his  subject. 

10.  Determine  the  number  of  appeals  upon  which  your 

advertisements  are  based. 

11.  Among  what  class  of  people  do  you  think  you  could 

most  quickly  promote  the  use  of  honey  ? 

12.  What  is  the  one  word  in  your  advertisements  with 

which  you  have  most  closely  associated  your 
subject  ?     Is  it  a  tempting  word,  and  why  ? 

113 


CHAPTER  XII 

OPTIMISM  AND  HUMOR  THE  SEASON- 
ING  OF  GOOD  ADVERTISING 

Every  good  advertisement  gives  to  the  public 
a  message  of  good  cheer! 

A  good  story  may  make  you  cry  or  may  make 
you  sad.  The  bookshelves  fairly  groan  with 
successful,  gloom-imparting  literature.  Even 
a  book  bearing  such  a  title  as:  "Is  Life  Worth 
Living  ?"  may  find  a  large,  morbid,  and  delighted 
ready-to-read  public. 

Good  advertising  fairly  bristles  with  hope  and 
promise.  If  you  are  feeling  depressed,  pick  up 
a  magazine  or  newspaper  and  read  the  advertis- 
ing. It  will  cure,  or  tell  you  how  to  cure,  any- 
thing from  a  backache  to  a  heartache.  And  it 
is  largely  to  this  great,  positive,  enthusiastic 
spirit  of  optimism  that  advertising  owes  its 
success.  It  encourages  Mr.  Failure  while  tempt- 
ing Mr.  Success;  the  poor  man  can  start  a  bank 
account  on  a  dollar  and  have  a  good  bank 
account  by  next  Christmas;  the  sick  man  can 
take  somebody's  pills  or  read  somebody's  books 
and  be  a  well  man;  the  fat  woman  can  have  a 
figure  like  Venus  by  some  simple  exercises;   the 

114 


OPTIMISM  AND  HUMOR  AS  SEASONING 

clerk  can  become  manager  of  the  business! 
And  there  is  not  a  doubt  about  it  that  all  this 
suggestion  is  stimulating.  It  is  a  relief  to  turn 
from  columns  of  war,  murder,  suicide,  and 
scandal  to  this  good,  healthy,  resourceful  ad- 
vertising reading.  Probably  there  are  thousands 
of  men  and  women  who  have  honestly  taken 
and  profited  by  the  advice  of  an  unknown  ad- 
vertising writer. 

One  of  the  most  diflScult  but  effective  forces 
to  use  in  advertising  is  humor.  There  is  a  vast 
difference  between  "getting  smart"  and  being 
humorous,  and  few  advertising  writers  recognize 
this  diflference.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  most 
advertising  in  which  any  attempt  is  made  at 
the  humorous  falls  flat.  So,  unless  you  feel  that 
you  can  become  skilled  in  its  use,  it  is  safer  to 
stick  to  the  serious  than  to  offend  or  confuse 
your  readers. 

It  is  necessary  that  all  humor  in  advertising 
be  objective.  In  no  case  can  you  afford  to  use 
subjective  humor.  Objective  humor  never 
touches  the  customer  unless  it  refers  to  human 
experience  common  to  all.  It  is  never  forced, 
but  is  light,  sparkling,  and  irresistible.  It  deals 
with  situations,  objects,  common  human  experi- 
ence, and  sometimes  characters  foreign  to  the 

115 


ADVERTISEl 


customer.  This  sort  of  humor  may  not  be 
obvious  to  all,  but  is  keenly  enjoyed  by  those 
who  "get"  it,  and  serves  to  strengthen  and  send 
home  your  arguments  as  by  no  other  means. 

Subjective  humor  —  frequently  used  and  al- 
ways offensively  —  places  the  customer  in  an 
awkward  situation.  It  often  represents  a  pecu- 
liar or  repulsive-looking  man  or  woman,  so  that 
the  reader  at  once  thinks,  unconsciously  per- 
haps, but  surely,  "Well,  if  I  look  like  that,  none 
of  it  for  me." 

It  is  always  safer  to  use  humor  in  writing 
advertising  to  men  than  to  use  it  in  advertising 
to  women.  Women  are  inclined  to  take  things 
more  seriously,  while  men  have  so  much  of  the 
serious  that  they  welcome  anything  that  will 
call  forth  a  smile.  Often  just  a  little  dash  of  the 
humorous  will  "turn  the  trick"  in  an  advertise- 
ment that  is  written  to  appeal  to  men.  For 
example,  it  was  thought  well  to  mention  that  a 
department  store  had  a  separate  entrance  for 
men,  by  advertising  "Shy  Men  Prefer  our 
Separate  Entrance."  The  fact  lost  nothing,  and 
yet  drove  the  point  home  that  the  store  had 
especially  provided  for  the  needs  of  men  who 
don't  like  to  walk  through  women's  departments. 

Humor  can  and  should  be  used  with  great 
116 


OPTIMISM  AND  HUMOR  AS  SEASONING 

effect  in  program  advertising.  It  pulls  there,  as 
no  dead-in-earnest  advertising  ever  will.  (See 
chapter  on  *' Program  Advertising.") 

There  are  many  times  when  the  only  way  out 
in  your  advertising  problem  is  to  handle  the 
situation  in  a  light  vein,  to  make  your  point 
while  you  win  a  smile  and  the  good  will  of  your 
reader.  There  are  other  times  when  the  serious- 
ness of  the  idea  will  not  permit  the  use  of 
humor  —  but  this  is  seldom,  and  it  is  the  par- 
ticular fault  of  department  store  advertising 
that  it  takes  itself  far,  far  too  seriously. 

Imagine  a  newspaper  that  never  printed  a 
humorous  incident,  or  better  yet,  turn  to  one 
that  does  not,  a  paper  without  cartoons,  without 
funny  stories,  without  a  keen  sense  of  the  rela- 
tive values  of  things,  and  you've  got  the  dullest, 
heaviest  newspaper  you  can  read.  Just  so  in 
advertising,  you  are  relying  upon  contrasts.  If 
you  omit  humor  you  fail  to  reckon  with  the 
lights  and  shadows. 

The  time  is  fast  coming  when  sheer  exaggera- 
tion will  fail  to  sell  merchandise.  The  public  is 
sickening  of  "Sale!  Sale!  Sale!"  But  he  is 
sure  to  win  favor  who  makes  advertising  in- 
teresting. 


117 


"Where's  My  Pinaud's  Vegetal? 
Where's  My  Shaving  Soap? 
Where's  My  Safety  Razor?" 

This  is  what  happens  when  the  bathroom  pharmacy 
supplies  run  low.  Better  buy  supplies  in  sufficient 
quantities  at 

The  Daniels  ca,  Fisher  Stores  Co. 

Toilet  Goods  and  Drug  Departments, 

FIRST  FLOOR 


Note  the  Human  Interest  in  this  Situation. 
IIB 


OPTIMISM  AND  HUMOR  AS  SEASONING 


SuggestioTis  for  Study 

1.  Select  six  advertisements  which  in  your  opinion  are 

successfully  humorous. 

2.  Select  another  series  of  six  advertisements  where  con- 

vincing optimistic  statements  are  made. 

3.  Prepare  six  original  advertisements  upon  any  subjects 

you  may  select,  illustrating  each  —  optimism  and 
humor. 

4.  Cut  out  a  department  store  advertisement  and  try  to 

discover  some  one  place  where  humor  might  have 
been  successfully  employed. 

5.  Name  half  a  dozen  humorous  incidents  from  common 

experience  about  which  you  might  write  advertise- 
ments. 

6.  Which  of  your  favorite  authors  is  the  most  humorous  ? 

Analyze  some  article  or  story  and  determine  in  what 
the  humor  consists. 

Reference.  —  See  Bergson's  Laughter,  the  Meaning  of  the 
Comic. 


119 


.     CHAPTER  XIII 

LOCAL  COLOR  IN  ADVERTISING 

The  writer  of  literature  and  the  writer  of 
advertising  have  many  things  in  common.  One 
of  them  is  the  necessity  for  injecting  into  their 
copy  ** local  color." 

If  you  were  aspiring  to  write  a  Western 
romance,  it  would  be  necessary  for  you  to  know 
something  about  the  habits  of  the  people  of  the 
locality;  the  scenic  setting  in  which  you  would 
place  them;  the  customs  and  favored  expres- 
sions of  their  various  types.  Lacking  this  local 
color,  you  would  fail  to  convince  your  reader  of 
the  reality  of  your  tale. 

And  it  is  this  very  lack  of  local  color  which  so 
often  ruins  an  advertisement  that  is  otherwise 
good. 

For  example,  coming  in  on  one  of  the  leading 
railroads,  and  glancing  at  an  effectively  designed 
menu  card,  it  was  once  amusing  to  note  the 
invitation  to  "  canoe  "  through  Colorado.  Surely 
no  tenderfoot  ever  confessed  a  greater  ignorance 
of  the  topography  of  the  West  than  the  writer  of 
that  advertisement! 

Western  land  companies  often  have  most 
120 


LOCAL    COLOR    IN    ADVERTISING 

expensive  booklets  written  in  Eastern  advertis- 
ing offices,  by  men  who  have  never  visited  the 
land  they  write  of,  and  their  advertising  is  a 
mass  of  glittering  generalities.  How  can  it  be 
otherwise,  since  no  one  can  tell  you  of  another 
country  as  you  yourself  see  it  ?  A  story  that  is 
written  by  some  one  who  has  been  told  about 
what  he  is  going  to  write,  is  never  so  convincing 
as  the  story  written  by  one  who  has  seen  for 
himself. 

The  very  language  effective  in  advertising  in 
one  locality  might  prove  incomprehensible  or 
offensive  in  another  section.  For  instance, 
what  Easterner  would  understand  such  expres- 
sions as  "pan  out,"  "cinch,"  "hit  the  trail," 
etc.  ?  Such  expressions  would  be  very  effective 
and  appealing  in  advertising  to  the  Western 
man.  On  the  other  hand,  French  terms  which 
might  be  fittingly  used  in  advertising  to  a  certain 
class  of  Eastern  people  would  give  offence  if 
employed  in  the  advertising  of  the  more  demo- 
cratic West. 

Then  there  are  the  prejudices  of  the  various 
sections  of  the  country.  These  the  advertising 
writer  should  study  and  observe.  In  the  han- 
dling of  national  advertising  campaigns  this 
question  of  local  color  has  never  received  the 

121 


ADVERTISE! 


consideration  it  deserves.  Probably  the  rail- 
road comes  the  nearest  to  taking  it  into  account. 
But  just  think  what  might  be  done  with  the 
automobile  concern  which  used  local  pictures 
and  talked  of  local  trips!  How  much  more 
effective  national  food,  soap,  tobacco,  and  other 
advertisements  might  be,  written  with  a  local 
appeal !  As  by  no  other  means,  such  touches  of 
local  color  can  "bring  the  advertisement  home," 
to  the  reader.  He  sees  it  in  his  own  familiar 
setting  and  feels  that  it  was  written  to  him. 

The  climate  of  different  localities  is  a  very 
important  factor  in  advertising.  It  behooves 
the  writer  of  advertising  to  study  it  carefully, 
and  to  know  what  seasons  are  the  most  pro- 
pitious for  his  campaign.  For  instance,  the 
Eastern  Spring  and  the  Western  Spring  come 
at  different  times  and  in  different  ways.  Yet 
many  a  Western  advertiser  lays  out  his  spring 
advertising  campaign  arbitrarily,  by  the  plan 
of  some  Eastern  store. 

In  the  East  homes  are  shut  up  at  a  certain 
season.  In  the  South  this  season  is  earlier.  In 
the  West  the  town  home  is  kept  open  because  of 
the  year-round  cool  weather.  Furs  may  be 
worn  in  San  Francisco  and  Colorado  when 
impossible  in  the  sweltering  heat  of  New  York  or 

122 


LOCAL    COLOR    IN    ADVERTISING 

St.  Louis.  No  one  in  Colorado  or  California 
would  venture  on  an  evening  summer  outing 
without  wraps.  Sudden  showers  in  certain 
sections  of  the  country  make  an  omni-present 
summer  umbrella  necessary.  There  is  the  rainy 
season  of  California,  full  of  possibilities;  there 
is  the  high,  dry,  skin-destroying  altitude  of  Colo- 
rado —  rich  for  the  beauty  doctor.  Think  of 
the  shoes  which  the  various  sections  of  the 
country  suggest  for  wearers!  Who  has  yet  told 
us  what  shoes  should  be  worn  with  any  degree 
of  understanding  of  what  he  was  talking  about, 
or  where  he  was  walking  ? 

The  personal  element,  or  "the  character  of 
the  business,"  should  be  classed  as  local  color. 
No  individual  or  concern  can  stay  in  business 
any  length  of  time  without  developing  certain 
characteristics  by  which  the  business  itself  be- 
comes marked.  Now  these  things  should  be 
breathed  through  the  whole  spirit  of  the  adver- 
tising, to  lend  it  individuality  and  to  stamp  it  as 
belonging  to  that  particular  business.  This  is 
an  intangible  and  yet  a  most  valuable  asset. 
What  the  advertising  writer  should  do  is  to  try 
to  get  himself  en  rapport  with  the  personalities 
which  dominate  the  business. 

In  search  of  local  color  the  advertising  writer 
123 


ADVERTISE! 


should  study  the  article  to  be  advertised  in  its 
own  surroundings,  when  possible.  What  is 
more  interesting  and  instructive  than  a  trip 
through  a  manufacturing  plant?  When  you 
have  seen  soap,  or  hosiery,  or  bricks,  or  auto- 
mobiles, or  moving  pictures  in  the  making,  you 
bring  to  your  advertising  accurate  information, 
if  not  positive  inspiration.  (If  a  choice  is 
necessary  take  the  accurate  information  in 
preference  to  inspiration.)  Remember  you  can 
not  be  convincing  enough  to  sell  a  hungry  man 
a  dinner,  unless  you  know  what  you  are  talking 
about  and  believe  it  yourself. 

The  search  for  local  color  will  lead  the  ad- 
vertising writer  to  new,  rich,  undeveloped  fields 
of  romance  and  information. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Select  several  advertisements  used  in  your  city  by 

national  advertisers  and  determine  where  local  color 
might  be  advantageously  used.  Rewrite  the  ad- 
vertisements with  a  direct  appeal  to  your  locality. 

2.  Name  three  words  peculiar  to  your  part  of  the  country. 

3.  Write  three  advertisements  employing  these  words  in 

some  striking  manner. 

4.  Sketch  briefly  the  weather  conditions  which  may  be 

said  to  be  prevalent  in  your  city  at  various  seasons 
of  the  year. 

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LOCAL    COLOR    IN    ADVERTISING 


5.  Outline  a  plan  for  shoe  advertising  with  a  view  to  your 

weather  sketch. 

6.  Visit   some   local   manufacturing   concern   and   make 

notes  about  the  product. 

7.  Give  a  brief  outline  of  your  plan  for  advertising  the 

merchandise  based  upon  your  study  of  the  product 
at  first  hand. 

8.  Would  you  make  any  difference  in  your  scheme  of 

advertising  to  New  York  buyers,  Chicago  buyers, 
Los  Angeles  buyers,  New  Orleans  buyers?  If  so, 
what  change  might  be  suggested  ?  Would  the  plan 
differ  in  copy  only,  or  in  media,  or  in  both  ? 


ns 


CHAPTER  XIV 

SUGGESTION  IN  RELATION  TO 
ADVERTISING 

Think  of  dynamite! 

If  you  think  in  pictures  you  may  think  of  a 
leg  flying  through  space.  If  you  think  in  words, 
you  will  think  of  the  word  "explode."  By 
either  thought  process  you  will  get  the  idea. 

Suggestion  in  advertising  explodes  into  action. 
It  is  strong,  swift,  sure. 

Recent  writers  on  the  subject  of  suggestion 
define  man  as  "the  suggestible  animal."  The 
degree  of  this  suggestibility  varies  of  course  with 
the  individual.  The  lower  one  goes  in  the  scale 
of  human  development,  the  greater  the  suggest- 
ibility. There  are  individuals  who  act  solely 
from  suggestion;  there  are  others  who  act  from 
suggestion  only  when  caught  off  guard. 

In  considering  some  of  the  laws  of  suggestion 
in  relation  to  advertising,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  what  is  true  approximately  of  all  individ- 
uals, is  true  absolutely  of  all  masses.  It  will 
thus  become  possible,  through  a  study  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  suggestion,  to  predict 
with  a  greater  degree  of  certainty  the  result  of 

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SUGGESTION    IN    ADVERTISING 

any  given  advertisement  which  conforms  to 
these  laws. 

Technically  defined,  suggestion  is  "the  in- 
trusion into  the  mind  of  an  idea,  met  by  the 
person  with  more  or  less  opposition,  accepted  at 
last  uncritically,  and  acted  upon  unreflectively, 
almost  automatically." 

If  it  be  the  aim  of  advertising  to  produce 
action,  is  it  not  well  worth  the  time  to  study  and 
to  produce,  if  possible,  this  action  that  is  *' almost 
automatic  .f^ " 

It  may  be  necessary  at  the  very  outset  to 
abandon  some  preconceived  ideas  as  to  the 
source  of  human  action.  Much  discussion  of 
"reason  why"  copy  has  a  tendency  to  over- 
emphasize the  reasonableness  of  man.  In  study- 
ing suggestion,  man  must  be  thought  of  as  a  child 
who  does  what  he  is  told,  having  been  taught  not 
to  ask  "why.'^"  Occasionally  he  is  given  a 
reason  to  satisfy  him,  but  in  the  main  he  obeys 
and  takes  the  reason  on  faith. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  advertising  writer  this 
is  most  fortunately  true,  for,  were  this  a  world 
that  smoked  its  favorite  cigars,  ate  its  favorite 
breakfast  food,  and  chewed  its  favorite  gum 
through  reason,  there  would  be  no  advertising. 

It  not  infrequently  happens  that  action  results 
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from  a  combination  of  reason  and  suggestion. 
The  man  who  begins  to  reason  ends  by  obeying 
a  suggestion  —  the  idea  that  intrudes  into  his 
mind. 

If,  however,  you  entertain  any  doubt  as  to  the 
preponderance  of  suggestion  over  reason,  try  to 
close  a  sale  through  argument.  One  trial  will 
convince  the  most  incredulous.  This  is  not  a 
reasoning  world. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  suggestibility:  normal 
suggestibility,  or  that  of  the  waking  state;  and 
abnormal  suggestibility,  or  that  of  the  hypnotic 
or  hysterical  state.  While  there  is  much  of 
interest  and  value  to  the  advertising  student 
in  abnormal  suggestion,  only  normal  suggesti- 
bility is  here  considered. 

A  suggestion  is  either  direct  or  indirect. 

We  may  give  our  direct  suggestion  with 
authority,  as  in  the  command  "Use  Sapolio," 
or  we  may  word  our  direct  suggestion  politely 
as,  "We  request  that  you  fill  in  the  blank  and 
return." 

The  essential  feature  of  a  direct  suggestion  is 
that  it  must  be  plain.  It  must  be  evidently  and 
unmistakably  a  suggestion  made  by  us  to  the 
listener  or  reader. 

Mark  Anthony's  speech  in  Julius  Ccesar,  be- 
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SUGGESTION    IN    ADVERTISING 

ginning,  ''Friends,  Romans,  countrymen,"  is 
the  best  example  of  indirect  suggestion  in  the 
Enghsh  language.  The  wonderful  compelling 
power  of  that  speech  shows  the  indomitable 
impetus  of  a  suggestion  so  skillfully  planted  in 
a  man's  mind  that  he  believes  it  to  be  his 
own  idea.  What  a  past  master  of  advertising 
Shakespeare  might  have  been! 

The  law  of  suggestion  is  that  in  the  normal  state 
suggestion  is  the  more  effective  the  more  indirect  it 
is,  and  in  propoi'tion  as  it  becomes  direct  it  loses 
its  efficacy, 

A  brief  moment's  consideration  of  human 
experience  convinces  us  of  the  truth  of  this  law. 
One  has  but  to  recall  the  popular  aversion  to  the 
unsolicited  suggestions  of  others,  the  social  un- 
desirability  of  the  person  with  pronounced 
opinions,  the  spirit  in  which  a  friend  receives 
uncalled-for  advice. 

We  might  be  led  to  wonder  why  direct  sugges- 
tion is  ever  effective,  save  for  the  fact  that 
suggestion,  both  direct  and  indirect,  relieves  the 
recipient  of  the  painful  necessity  of  coming  to  a 
decision.  Hence  it  is  really  ever  welcome,  even 
when  apparently  spurned.  It  remains  in  the 
mind  as  an  alternative,  if  not  as  a  solution. 

Direct  suggestion  is  the  most  familiar  form  of 
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suggestion  in  advertising.  We  recognize  it  in 
the  thousands  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
direct  commands  that  greet  us  everywhere. 
And  when  we  consider  that  people  are  Hterally 
washed,  clothed,  fed,  educated,  and  entertained 
through  these  direct  command  advertisements, 
we  ge^  some  idea  of  the  remarkable  suggesti- 
bility of  the  popular  mind. 

There  is  no  question  that  direct  suggestion  is 
effective,  but  does  it  get  the  maximum  result.^ 
Does  it  not  encounter  more  opposition  than  is 
necessary  .f^  Are  there  not  people  who  resist 
direct  suggestion,  who  are  extremely  susceptible 
to  indirect  suggestion  ? 

Normal  suggestibility  and  abnormal  suggesti- 
bility flow  from  a  common  source,  the  disaggre- 
gation of  consciousness.  The  difference  is  in 
the  depth  of  the  cleft  in  the  mind.  In  normal 
suggestibility  this  cleft  is  not  so  deep  or  so  last- 
ing.    It  is  evanescent. 

Every  good  salesman  knows  when  the  moment 
to  close  arrives.  A  failure  to  recognize  this 
moment'  means  a  lost  sale  or  a  redoubled  effort 
to  revive  once  more  the  proper  state  of  mind. 
Even  though  a  sale  is  eventually  closed  at  a 
second  opportune  moment,  it  is  never  so  easily 
accomplished  as  at  the  first. 

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SUGGESTION    IN    ADVERTISING 

In  the  use  of  suggestion  this  psychological 
moment  is  of  supreme  importance.  ''Action 
that  is  almost  automatic''  can  be  produced  only 
when  the  suggestion  is  slipped  in  at  this  favorable 
moment.  Remembering  that  it  is  but  a  fleeting 
moment,  it  is  necessary  to  obtain  immediate 
execution  —  that  is,  the  sine  qua  non  of  sugges- 
tion. 

Reverting  once  more  to  the  definition  of 
suggestion,  we  recall  that  it  is  the  "intrusion 
into  the  mind  of  an  idea  met  with  more  or  less 
opposition^  accepted  uncritically  at  last.''  That 
is,  the  waking  consciousness  is  on  guard  against 
suggestion.  Suggestion  has  a  battle  which  it 
may  win  through  strength  or'strategy. 

In  order  to  insinuate  a  suggestion  into  reflex 
consciousness  every  precaution  must  be  taken 
to  guard  the  door  of  the  inhibitory  opposing 
consciousness. 

Direct  suggestion  takes  this  door  by  storm,  if 
possible.  Indirect  suggestion  passes  a  sleeping 
sentinel,  unchallenged. 

To  use  another  illustration,  take  the  differ- 
ence between  the  blustering  person  who  loudly 
announces  his  intended  actions  and  the  silent 
man  who  quietly  brings  to  pass  his  mysterious 
plans. 

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The  increased  effectiveness  and  ease  of  the 
latter' s  work  is  proverbial. 

Brevity  is  one  of  the  signalizing  features  of 
indirect  suggestion  in  advertising.  Like  a  suc- 
cessful salesman  or  a  distinguished  diplomat,  it 
implies  so  much  and  it  says  so  little. 

"Eventually,  why  not  now  ?'\  "Ask  the  man 
who  owns  one,'*  "Smoked  by  gentlemen  every- 
where, have  you  smoked  one  lately.^"  —  con- 
trast these  three  excellent  examples  of  indirect 
suggestion  in  advertising  with  their  direct  forms : 
"Buy  now,"  "Positively  the  best,"  "Smoke 
these  cigars,"  etc.  Add,  if  you  will,  to  these 
direct  forms  elaborate  "reasons  why,"  emphasize 
them  in  big,  bold  type,  or  print  them  in  three 
colors.  They  will  never  have  the  strength  of 
the  originals. 

And  yet,  at  first  thought,  the  direct,  bold, 
assertive  statement  may  seem  the  stronger. 
Often  this  is  true,  because  in  the  first  blush  of 
enthusiasm  we  fail  to  reckon  with  the  "oppo- 
sition." 

Every  suggestion  tends  to  carry  itself  out  in 
action  unless  counteracted  by  a  stronger  sug- 
gestion. Thus,  if  we  say,  "Buy  now,"  we  may 
meet  with  the  alert  inhibition  —  a  refusal  to 
buy.     Suppose  we  give  six  "reasons  why,"  in 

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SUGGESTION    IN    ADVERTISING 

addition  to  our  direct  suggestion.  Any  one  of 
these  reasons,  or  all  of  them,  may  arouse  opposi- 
tion, as  well  as  consent.  But  when  we  say, 
*' Eventually ,  why  not  now.^^"  we  take  the  final 
overcoming  of  all  opposition  for  granted.  We 
have  eliminated  the  deliberative  process,  and, 
with  one  swift  assurance,  have  planted  our 
indirect  suggestion  where  it  will  produce  "action 
almost  automatic."  In  each  one  of  these  in- 
stances the  final  decision  is  left  apparently 
entirely  to  the  reader,  while,  really,  it  is  made  for 
him.  He  is  thus  led  to  accept  the  conclusion 
as  entirely  his  own  —  therein  lies  the  irresistible 
force  of  indirect  suggestion. 

The  lingering,  indirect,  "Good  morning,  have 
you  used  Pears'  Soap.^^"  is  removed  from  the 
direct  "Use  Pears'  Soap,"  by  a  gulf  of  unspoken 
thought. 

There  are  many  instances  where  attempts  to 
make  advertising  suggestions  indirect  have  ut- 
terly failed.  Most  notable  are  those  advertise- 
ments in  which  an  association  of  ideas  is  used, 
or  implied,  but  which  do  not,  even  vaguely, 
suggest  action.  We  may  pass  again  and  again 
the  bill  board  on  which  is  painted  a  can  of  milk 
bearing  the  inscription  "The  Modern  Milkman," 
without  ever  feeling  the  impetus  to  buy  this 

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ADVERTISE! 


brand  of  condensed  milk.  We  are  left  as  con- 
tented as  the  cows,  with  our  own  five-o'clock-in- 
the-morning  milkman.  In  the  event  that  we 
wanted  condensed  milk,  this  association  of  ideas 
might  induce  us  to  purchase.  But  three,  or 
four,  or  five  words  would  stimulate  the  act. 

Between  every  advertised  article  and  its  pur- 
chase yawns  the  chasm  of  indecision.  Buyers 
won't  jump  that  chasm.  They  must  be  in- 
duced to  cross  by  the  bridge  of  suggestion.  The 
description  in  detail  of  the  process  of  the  act  of 
purchase,  or  inquiry,  is  in  itself  a  clever  use  of 
mdirect  suggestion.  And  yet  there  are  adver- 
tisements that  entirely  omit  to  mention  how  the 
purchase  may  be  consummated. 

Touching  as  it  does  the  very  mainspring  of 
human  action,  suggestion  opens  to  the  adver- 
tising world  an  inexhaustible  field  of  study. 
There  is  not  a  good,  strong,  live  advertisement 
that  does  not  make  use  of  suggestion,  in  either 
its  direct  or  indirect  form. 

Call  it  "the  punch,"  "the  red  blood,"  "the 
brutal  element,"  "human  interest,"  or  what  we 
will,  suggestion  "delivers  the  goods,"  gets  the 
results. 

From  an  advertising  standpoint  it  is  better 
to  produce  any  kind  of  action  than  none  at  all. 

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SUGGESTION    IN    ADVERTISING 

If  we  can't  get  purchases,  we  at  least  hope  to 
pull  inquiries.  We  know  that  the  man  who  has 
once  acted  in  response  to  our  advertisement  will 
the  more  readily  act  again.  The  production, 
then,  of  "action  that  is  almost  automatic"  is 
very  nearly  the  ideal  of  advertising. 

Many  writers  of  advertising  who  know  nothing 
about  the  various  laws  and  phenomena  of 
suggestion  use  it  unconsciously,  but  the  writer 
who  makes  them  a  subject  of  study  will  use 
suggestion  consciously  and  to  its  full  advantage. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Select    twelve    examples    of    direct    suggestion    and 

twelve   examples   of   indirect   suggestion   used   in 
current  reading  matter. 

2.  Select  twelve  examples  of  each  used  in  advertisements. 

3.  Choose  from  your  collections  three  striking  examples 

of  each  form  of  suggestion. 

4.  Rewrite  the  direct  suggestions  in  their  indirect  form. 

5.  Write  twelve  direct  suggestions  to  be  used  as  closing 

arguments  in  advertising. 

6.  Write  six  indirect  suggestions  to  be  used  as  closing 

arguments  in  advertising. 

7.  Write  six  direct  suggestions  to  be  used  as  trade  slogans 

for  (a)   tobacco,   (6)   chewing  gum,   (c)   soap,   {d) 
cereal,  {e)  tea,  (/)  victrola. 

8.  Write  six  direct  suggestions,  one  each,  for  the  subjects 

above. 

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9.   Compare  your  direct  and  indirect  advertisements  and 
select  from  your  work  the  strongest  three. 

10.  Which  one  of  your  advertisements  could  be  the  most 

widely  used,  and  why  ? 

11.  Write,  briefly,  what  thoughts  come  to  your  mind  in 

connection  with  these  expressions:  "It  Floats," 
"Eventually,  why  not  now?"  "Good  morning, 
have  you  used  Pears'  Soap  ?  *'  "  Ask  the  man  who 
owns  one." 

12.  Outline,    briefly,    what    suggestions    you    intend    to 

awaken  in  the  public  mind  by  your  own  indirect 
advertisements. 

Reference.  —  See  The  Psychology  of  Suggestion^  by  Boris 
Sidis;  Infliiencing  Men  in  Business,  by  Walter  Dill 
Scott. 


136 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  EYE  IN  ADVERTISING' 

People  do  not  sit  down  to  read  advertisements. 

The  first  mission  of  good  advertising  is  to 
attract  the  eye.  It  must  command  the  imme- 
diate and  involuntary  attention.  It  must  be 
read,  but  first  it  must  be  seen. 

An  advertisement  that  does  not  successfully 
appeal  to  the  eye  has  about  as  much  chance  of 
making  an  impression  as  a  solicitor  who  fails  to 
get  an  interview. 

All  the  good  arguments,  the  carefully  pre- 
pared copy,  the  special  inducements,  are  lost  on 
the  man  or  woman  who  has  not  read  the  adver- 
tisement. There  must  be  no  "ifs"  about  its 
being  seen,  and  it  must  be  seen  involuntarily. 

The  advertiser  who  fails  to  make  friends  with 
the  eye,  loses  his  most  important  messenger,  for 
the  human  eye  stands  sentinel  at  the  door  of  the 
human  mind.  To  "catch"  the  eye  is  no  easy 
task.  It  is  trained  to  inattention.  Even  with 
highly  developed  observation,  which  is  rare,  the 
eye  sees  first  the  things  it  wants  to  see,  and  the 
things  which  are  "in  plain  sight."     A  shout  or 

1  From  an  article  by  the  author  in  Modem  Methods, 
137 


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a  whisper  will  get  the  attention  of  the  ear,  but 
the  eye  may  be  caught  involuntarily  only  by 
motion  or  by  something  in  "still  life"  that 
"stands  out." 

The  eye  has  certain  marked  prejudices.  It 
is  astonishing  how  often  advertisers  fail  to 
reckon  with  them,  deliberately  forfeiting  favor. 
The  first  consideration  of  the  eye  is  for  ease. 
When  anything  looks  hard  to  read  the  eye  balks. 
It  passes  by  the  customary  for  the  novel,  and 
to  the  long  and  tedious  it  is  blind.  The  eye  may 
be  forced  to  read  fine  print,  long  lines,  closely 
set  type,  but  it  reads  them  under  protest, 
obeying  the  peremptory  order  from  the  will. 

At  its  best,  voluntary  attention  is  a  poor 
substitute  for  real,  live  interest.  It  accom- 
plishes the  work  with  great  effort  and  small 
result.  It  is  involuntary  interest  that  the 
advertiser  wants.  Advertising  is  read  involun- 
tarily and  often  under  actual  protest.  "Hello 
there  —  what's  this?"  comes  the  message  from 
the  eye  as  its  attention  is  arrested,  and  little  by 
little  it  woos  the  mind  to  follow.  But  even  when 
the  mind  is  interested  the  eye  may  turn  traitor 
if  the  advertisement  grows  suddenly  difficult. 
Of  all  reading,  advertising  depends  most  upon 
this  sustained  optical  interest.     Its  type  arrange- 

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THE    EYE    IN    ADVERTISING 

merit,  black  and  white  effect,  or  color  scheme 
form  a  sort  of  plot.  In  every  good  advertise- 
ment there  should  be  some  one  distinct  "eye 
catcher"  which  cries  to  the  eye  "this  is  interest- 

ing." 

The  novel  that  holds  the  reader  from  "the 
first  to  the  last"  is  among  the  "best  sellers." 
The  advertisement  that  sells  most  must  go  the 
novel  one  better,  for  it  must  first  "catch"  the 
eye  of  the  reader  and  then  rivet  his  attention 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  other  —  to  him  more 
important  —  reading.  A  novel  may  be  some- 
times tedious,  may  contain  "fillers,"  yet  how 
many  readers  skip  the  closely  set  conversation- 
less  paragraphs  of  the  novel! 

Imagine  asking  a  man,  "Well,  what's  the 
latest  advertisement  ?  "  He  would  no  more  own 
to  knowing  than  he  would  own  to  having  heard 
the  latest  gossip.  He  sits  down  to  read  about 
war,  the  stock  market,  the  Presfdent's  message, 
the  latest  scientific  discovery.  He  has  no  inten- 
tion of  being  sold  lots  or  bonds,  of  learning  that 
a  new  style  of  hat  has  just  arrived,  or  that 
another  brand  of  cigar  should  take  the  place  of 
the  one  he  is  smoking. 

Yet  he  becomes  aware  of  these  things  which  he 
does  not  intentionally  read,  and  his  eyes  are 

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constantly  led  from  the  long  columns  of  news  to 
the  easily  read,  large  type  articles.  His  volun- 
tary attention  is  on  the  news.  His  involuntary 
attention  wanders  to  the  advertising  —  and 
behold,  he  is  sold  a  new  pair  of  shoes! 

There  are  advertisements  that  have  an  optical 
effect  as  pleasing  and  instantaneous  as  a  well- 
dressed,  pretty  woman  flashing  into  view.  The 
meaning  of  the  advertisement  ''comes  home"  to 
the  reader  and  he  pays  it  the  highest  tribute  — 
"That  looks  good.     I'll  look  into  it." 

Yet  next  to  the  ad  he  "looks  into,"  the  ad 
that  does  the  business,  there  may  be  another  of 
equal  worth  which  failed  to  get  even  a  glance. 

The  first  requisite  in  "catching  the  eye"  is 
the  use  of  large  type  and  plenty  of  white  space. 
This  rule  would  scarcely  seem  to  need  emphasis, 
and  yet  it  is  often  broken. 

"But  I  can't  leave  anything  out.  It's  all 
important!"  e^Jblaims  the  man  whose  attention 
is  called  to  the  fact  that  his  ad  is  overcrowded. 
And  the  only  result  of  that  ad  is  the  bill  ren- 
dered by  the  publishers  for  space! 

"What!  Read  all  that  closely  set  important 
argument  in  print  ?  Not  much!"  The  mind  of 
man  may  delight  in  logic,  but  not  his  eyes, 
especially  when  it  appears  in  8-point  or  10-point, 

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THE    EYE    IN    ADVERTISING 

set  solid.  It  is  calculated  that  more  than  98  per 
cent  of  the  reading  public  suffer  from  astigma- 
tism. This  fact  should  be  impressed  on  the 
minds  of  advertising  men,  that  their  layouts 
may  be  "easy  to  read." 

The  shape  of  the  advertisement  has  more  to 
do  with  its  attention  value  than  is  generally 
understood.  Newspaper  advertisements  are  fre- 
quently at  fault  in  being  too  wide  for  their 
length.  Nearly  all  advertisements  four  or  more 
columns  wide  have  glaring  typographical  faults 
—  they  contain  long,  unreadable  lines. 

In  8-point  and  10-point  the  eye  will  read  a 
line  3J  or  perhaps  4  inches  long.  Longer  lines 
both  confuse  and  weary  it.  Save  in  large  type, 
long  lines  are  an  advertising  abomination,  be- 
cause in  reading,  the  eye  loses  the  place  and 
attention  wanders.  Long  lines  kill  the  effect  of 
many  an  otherwise  good  advertisement. 

In  using  quarter-page  advertisements,  where 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  reading  matter,  a  good 
effect  may  often  be  obtained  by  setting  the  ad 
across  three  or  even  two  columns  instead  of 
four. 

That  the  optical  center  of  an  advertisement  is 
a  place  for  important  news  should  always  be 
borne  in  mind,  and  something  of  interest  as  well 

141 


ADVERTISE! 


as  importance  should  arrest  the  eye  in  the  space 
between  the  top  and  the  center  of  the  ad. 

There  are  some  ads  that  can  be  put  in  the 
form  of  suggestions.  But  there  are  other  adver- 
tisements that  must  be  explained,  and  these 
present  the  problem  as  to  how  to  go  into  details 
without  giving  a  tedious  optical  effect. 

This  can  be  done  in  several  ways.  Short 
paragraphs  separated  with  pica  white  spaces  are 
both  attractive  and  easy  to  read. 

"Tell  the  story  in  the  heads"  is  another  most 
effective  method,  provided,  of  course,  that  the 
head  tells  just  enough,  and  not  too  much, 
arresting  the  eye  sufficiently  to  insure  reading 
for  the  smaller  type. 

Long  paragraphs  are  made  acceptable  to  the 
eye  by  beginning  the  paragraph  in  large  type, 
24  or  30-point,  and  graduating  the  type,  break- 
ing from  24  to  18,  and  then  into  12  or  10-point, 
as  the  reading  may  require. 

Upper-case  type  is  not  pleasing  to  the  eye. 
The  customary  setting  of  reading  matter  in 
lower  case  has  given  it  an  optical  value  that 
'  should  always  be  considered. 

Another  optical  prejudice  to  be  noted  in 
advertising  is  that  the  eye  reads  from  left  to 
right.     A  picture  on  white  space  on  the  left 

142 


THE    EYE    IN    ADVERTISING 


Top  of  Adi'epf/semerLt 


OpYical 


/^athemaHcal  ^ 


Pivofal     ^ 


Cenfen 


Cenfen 


_>    Poia-b 


Boi+om   of  /,dveri-isemeat 


Points  of  Optical  Interest  in  «n  Advertisement 
143 


ADVERTISE! 


arrests  the  eye,  and  important  arguments  or 
news  items  on  the  right  are  most  certain  to  hold 
attention. 

As  the  eye  has  to  read  all  the  rules  and  dots 
in  an  advertisement,  the  simpler  the  effect  and 
arrangement,  the  better.  The  forceful  -writers 
are  those  who  use  simple  words.  The  most 
telling  advertisers  use  type  as  clear  as  English. 

There  has  been  a  lot  of  talk  about  the  necessity 
for  telling  the  truth.  But  truth  crushed  into 
8-point  type  has  little  chance  against  a  bold 
assertion  with  a  lot  of  white  space  made  by  a  less 
truthful  competitor.  Once  an  assertion  is  made 
in  type,  it  is  accepted  as  truth.  Man  has 
respect  for  the  word  he  sees  in  print.  He  may 
be  told  a  fact  by  many  salesmen,  but  it  comes 
home  to  him  as  the  truth  when  he  sees  it  in 
print.  Type  carries  authority.  That  is  why  in 
advertising  a  reputation  is  built  by  printed 
repetition.  But  the  print  must  be  easy  to  read. 
It  must  please  the  eye. 

The  simple  type  effect  means  good  taste.  It 
indicates  and  marks  the  best  as  does  "the  simple 
manner,"  "the  simple  garment,"  "the  simple 
life."  But  anyone  who  has  striven  for  sim- 
plicity has  early  learned  to  distinguish  it  from 
the   unfinished   product   called    "easy."     Sim- 

144 


THE    EYE    IN    ADVERTISING 


I  (a.scj. 


Pimouni^  of  Space 
eye  will  reaxL 

at-  ono,    f  ixatiorv 


3>^    inchu 


Length  of  line  oj-  tc/pe  ei^e 
will    read   a+  c^ne    -^vXaWoa. 


Shapes    ?ancL  forms    thcutr 
oHnact   the    ec^e     ('nvolontar/la 


other  Optical  Features  of  an  Advertisement. 
145 


ADVERTISE! 


plicity  is  the  art  that  conceals  the  art.  It  need 
not  scream  in  twelve  varieties  of  type,  nor  pound 
in  black  face,  nor  boast  in  caps,  nor  strive  for 
attention  in  italics.  It  does  not  topple  over 
with  big  heads,  nor  lose  its  balance,  nor  grab  for 
space  at  the  sides. 

The  ad  of  simple  type  effect  has  a  quiet,  posi- 
tive tone;  not  too  low,  not  too  loud,  but  distinct, 
clear,  apart  from  and  yet  of  its  surroundings. 
It  rivets  the  eye.  It  fascinates,  beckons  the 
curiosity,  and  easily,  noiselessly,  but  surely, 
sends  the  message  straight  home! 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Glance  through  three  newspapers  and  cut  out  the  six 

advertisements  that  are  most  attractive  to  your  eye. 
Mention  what  points  are  of  optical  interest,  and  also 
note  the  design  of  the  layouts. 

2.  Collect  three  advertisements  with  lines  set  in  8-point 

or  10-point  type  wider  than  four  inches.  Make  new 
layouts  and  arrange  to  break  this  type-matter  into 
groups  not  wider  than  3^  inches. 

3.  Collect  a  dozen  advertisements  which  present  some 

one  striking  optical  feature  and  write  original  adver- 
tisements of  the  same  subjects.  Make  new  layouts 
and  substitute  optical  effects  which  you  consider  as 
striking  as  the  original. 

4.  Write  an  advertisement  employing  in  a  conspicuous 

146 


THE    EYE    IN    ADVERTISING 


way  (a)  a  circle,  (6)  a  square,  (c)  three  4-point  rule 
stripes. 

5.  Pick  out  six  advertisements;  which  you  consider  too 

crowded.  Rewrite  them  and  make  layouts  for  the 
same  spaces  without  injuring  the  sense  or  effective- 
ness. 

6.  Go  through  the  advertising  in  three  magazines  and 

select  six  small  advertisements  that  "stand  out"  on 
the  page  and  tell  why. 

7.  Glance  through  a  dozen  magazines  and  newspapers. 

Put  them  aside  and  write  briefly  what  you  have 
remembered  of  the  advertisements.  Compare  your 
notes  with  the  advertisements  and  determine,  if 
possible,  why  each  one  was  remembered. 

8.  What  advertising  in  your  city  has  the  strongest  appeal 

to  the  eye  of  the  reader  ? 

9.  Select  ten  advertisements  that  you  think  may  be  read 

by  an  old  lady  without  her  glasses. 


147 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WHAT    ADVERTISING    DEMANDS    OF 
THE  ARTIST 

In  its  last  analysis  an  advertisement  is  an 
idea. 

However  striking  the  display  or  the  illustra- 
tion, the  advertisement  depends  for  its  appeal 
upon  the  idea  about  which  it  is  planned.  So  the 
first  thing  that  advertising  requires  of  art  is  to 
present  the  central  idea. 

Take  as  an  example  that  remarkable  adver- 
tisement for  the  Victrola,  "His  Master's  Voice." 
The  idea  for  that  illustration  was  most  evidently 
in  the  mind  of  the  writer  of  that  masterpiece  of 
suggestion.  Both  copy  and  illustration  say  the 
same  thing.  They  are  linked  so  closely  together 
that  the  idea  hits  the  reader  in  a  flash.  It  is 
a  dynamic  advertisement. 

The  association  of  art  and  advertising  is  con- 
ditioned by  certain  things  which  the  advertiser 
must  bear  in  mind.  It  is  impossible  for  an  artist 
to  create  a  picture  which  is  not  clear  in  his  own 
mind.  It  must  be  made  so  clear  to  him  that  he 
cannot  help  presenting  it. 

148 


ADVERTISING    DEMANDS    ON    ARTIST 

The  appeal  which  the  picture  is  to  make,  and 
in  a  general  way  the  scheme  of  the  picture  — 
the  way  in  which  the  advertising  writer  visual- 
izes the  picture  in  his  own  mind  —  should  be 
indicated,  and  certain  general  instructions  or 
suggestions  as  to  style  should  be  made,  but  the 
actual  technique  of  the  artist's  skill  should  be 
left  undisturbed,  if  the  picture  is  to  be  the 
artist's  best  work. 

The  man  who  sits  down  before  his  artist  and 
says,  "Put  a  mountain  here,  and  a  tree  there, 
and  a  bear  here,"  cannot  get  good  art  work.  If 
he  knew  how  to  draw  the  picture,  he  would 
draw  it  himself.  A  good  artist  knows  far  better 
how  to  produce  the  required  effect.  The  best 
advertising  writers  try  to  get  en  rapport  with 
the  artist. 

Human  interest  should  be  the  striking  feature 
of  advertising  art,  as  of  advertising  writing. 
Something  taken  from  life,  from  common,  every- 
day, ordinary  experience,  is  far  more  certain  to 
appeal  than  some  drawing  that  is  merely  "good 
composition"  or  ideally  artistic. 

When  the  advertising  writer  has  learned  to 
plan  his  illustration,  he  can  see  hundreds  of 
striking,  forceful  pictures  that  are  certain  to  sell, 
on  any  walk  along  a  business  street.     He  must 

149 


ADVERTISE! 


first  learn  to  think  in  advertising  pictures. 
These  pictures,  when  developed  by  an  artist, 
must  be  simple,  because  they  must  be  as  sugges- 
tive, as  condensed,  as  the  copy.  Not  a  line,  not 
a  rule,  in  the  advertisement  that  is  not  positively 
necessary.  The  reader  must  catch  the  illustra- 
tion at  a  glance,  just  as  he  gets  the  copy  at  first 
sight. 

At  the  same  time  the  illustration  must  be 
sufficiently  striking  to  arrest  attention.  And 
what  is  more  striking  than  some  experience 
common  to  us  all  ?  A  man  winding  up  his  watch 
before  going  to  bed;  a  woman  trying  on  a  hat 
before  a  mirror;  a  baby  upsetting  a  work  basket; 
a  man  presenting  his  best  girl  with  a  bouquet  of 
flowers;  a  woman  offering  a  man  a  piece  of  cake 
she  has  just  baked:  some  such  human  point  of 
contact  is  certain  to  excite  interest,  from  its  very 
familiarity. 

Just  as  the  landscape  artist  learns  to  half- 
shut  his  eyes  and  see  a  picture,  so  the  advertising 
artist  must  be  able  quickly  to  visualize  an  article 
to  be  advertised. 

The  ideal  advertisement  is  one  in  which 
the  copy  and  the  drawing  are  equally  forceful 
and  each  tell  the  same  story;  but  when  one  is 
stronger  than  the  other,  the  stronger  should  take 

150 


ADVERTISING    DEMANDS    ON    ARTIST 

precedence.  If  the  illustration  tells  the  story 
in  a  more  forceful,  suggestive,  striking  way,  then 
the  wording  should  be  subordinated,  or  vice 
versa. 

Suppose  you  were  handling  the  advertising  for 
a  remedy  known  as  "Miracle  Mud,"  like  anti- 
phlogistine,  used  for  colds,  etc.  You  might 
have  your  artist  picture  a  man  opening  the  can 
of  "Mud"  and  at  the  same  time  opening  the 
front  of  his  shirt;  or  a  woman  opening  the  can 
and  bending  over  a  sick  child;  or  a  doctor  hold- 
ing out  the  can  to  a  patient,  pointing  to  the 
patient's  chest;  or  a  nurse  in  the  act  of  applying 
the  "Mud."  Put  any  of  these  illustrations  on  a 
bill  board  with  the  wording  "Miracle  Mud,"  and 
you  would  give  the  most  casual  passer-by  a  good 
idea  of  what  you  were  advertising  and  its  uses, 
though  you  say  nothing  more. 

But  see  what  the  advertiser  and  artist  have 
done  to  this  unknown  remedy  (which  we  call  for 
illustration  "Miracle  Mud").  Together  with 
the  exact  illustration  of  the  can,  are  the  words 
"Miracle  Mud  —  the  Easy  Way."  This  gives 
no  one  the  slightest  clue  as  to  the  mystery  of 
what  Miracle  Mud  is. 

It  might  be  a  shoe  blacking  to  remove  mud; 
it  might  be  some  sort  of  paint;    it  might  be  a 

151 


ADVERTISE! 


fertilizer.  A  good  imagination  might  think  of  a 
hundred  different  possibiUties,  but  no  one  would 
ever  guess  from  the  copy  and  illustration  that 
it  is  a  remedy.  Here  is  an  absolute  waste  of 
good  advertising,  and  all  because  the  advertising 
writer  and  the  artist  both  failed  to  see  the 
picture. 

In  this  "Miracle  Mud"  illustration,  the  pic- 
ture might  have  told  the  whole  story  and  made 
effective  even  such  weak  copy  as  "The  Easy 
Way."  Even  poor  copy,  reinforced  by  a  good 
strong  illustration,  will  often  "go  home." 

The  copy  and  the  illustration  should  always 
say  the  same  thing.  They  may  say  it  in  the 
same  way,  they  may  say  it  in  different  ways,  but 
both  should  do  it  in  a  very  simple,  easy-to-under- 
stand  way. 

The  writer  of  an  advertisement  has  to  learn  to 
say  in  a  line  what  the  writer  of  a  story  would  say 
in  a  whole  chapter.  The  advertising  artist  must 
learn  the  same  ratio  of  condensed  drawing,  for 
while  advertising  obeys  certain  principles  of  art 
and  literature,  it  must  be  far  stronger  than  either 
in  its  suggestive  power. 

The  attention  of  advertising  readers  can  never 
be  taken  for  granted.  From  first  to  last,  it  must 
be  snatched  and  held  against  their  will. 

152 


ADVERTISING    DEMANDS    ON    ARTIST 

The  only  way  you  can  hold  anyone's  involun- 
tary attention  is  by  being  interesting,  unusual, 
unexpected.  The  copy  has  to  be  all  of  these, 
so  should  the  art  work. 

Think  of  the  new  ways  of  showing  things. 
The  more  new  things  you  can  picture,  the  greater 
will  be  the  success  of  your  advertising  art  work. 
Do  not  allow  one  more  border  line,  ornament, 
line,  dot,  or  detail  in  any  drawing  you  use  than  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  suggest  the  idea  at  which 
you  are  aiming.  Strive  constantly  for  brevity 
in  expression. 

Illustration  as  well  as  copy  must  conform  to 
optical  laws.  Contrasts  in  the  illustrations 
should  be  strong.  Black  and  white  effects  may 
be  skillfully  employed,  as  may  strong  optical 
shapes  such  as  circles,  squares,  and  arrows. 
Where  hand-lettering  is  used,  remember  that 
upper  and  lower  case  letters  are  always  easier  to 
read  than  upper  case  capitals.  The  artist,  with 
an  eye  to  the  fitness  of  things,  likes  to  put  nice, 
square  letters  into  nice,  square  space  —  capital 
letters,  because  they  look  better.  But  the  ad- 
vertising writer  must  be  firm  and  insist  on 
lower-case  letters  because  they  read  easier. 

In  any  case,  where  the  artistic  effect  injures 
the  advertising  force,  art  must  give  way.     It 

153 


ADVERTISE! 


must  be  willing  to  allow  advertising  poetic 
license. 

The  "gaze"  movement  is  an  important  optical 
law  of  advertising  art.  The  eye  of  the  reader 
follows  the  eyes  of  the  figures  in  the  illustration. 
Therefore  the  object  of  the  advertisement  should 
be  the  object  of  the  gaze  of  the  figures,  when- 
ever feasible.  Any  illustration  at  the  left  of  the 
reading  will  serve  to  arrest  the  eye,  as  it  reads 
from  left  to  right.  Illustrations  facing  the 
reading  matter  attract  the  eye  to  the  reading. 
Illustrations  should  very  seldom  if  ever  he  facing 
out  of  the  copy,  and  they  should  he  looking  at  the 
things  they  are  doing. 

As  the  whole  aim  of  the  advertisement  is  to 
incite  the  reader  to  action,  the  figures  in  the 
drawing  should  be  in  action,  not  still  life  effects, 
but  doing  something.  Artists  should  be  urged 
to  study  such  technical  things  as  how  to  make 
a  line  of  figures  seem  to  move,  etc.  Space 
is  too  valuable  to  waste  on  merely  ornamental 
drawing. 

Humor  may  well  be  employed  by  the  adver- 
tising artist,  but  it  must  be  objective  and  not 
subjective  humor.  The  reader  must  be  made  to 
feel  a  sense  of  amusement  at  common  experience 
—  not  that  he  is  being  made  fun  of,  or  is  liable 

154 


ADVERTISING    DEMANDS    ON    ARTIST 

to  be  amusing,  if  he  acts  in  response  to  the 
advertisement. 

Illustrations  are  nearly  always  misleading 
when  an  attempt  is  made  to  present  a  negative 
idea.  Aside  from  their  weakness,  it  is  practically 
impossible  to  use  negative  illustrations  without 
killing  the  force  of  the  advertisement.  Take,  for 
instance,  a  carpet  house  that  uses  a  large  elec- 
tric sign,  using  the  Dutch  Cleanser  illustration, 
on  which  they  advertise  "Carpetman  does  not 
clean  carpets  this  way."  In  the  first  place,  the 
observer  would  naturally  infer  that  the  sign  was 
an  advertisement  for  its  originators,  Dutch 
Cleanser;  next,  seeing  the  name  "Carpetman" 
(this  is  not  the  real  name),  with  the  illustration, 
he  would  jump  at  the  conclusion  that  he  did 
clean  carpets  the  very  way  he  says  he  does  not 
clean  carpets.  But  even  if  the  observer  has  time 
to  think  about  the  matter  at  all,  and  reads  the 
denial  —  how  does  Carpetman  clean  carpets  .f* 
Maybe  he  cleans  them  by  other  even  less  sani- 
tary methods  —  the  advertisement  does  not 
deny  them. 

See  that  the  advertising  picture  Is  as  unusual 
as  possible,  without  sacrificing  its  legibility. 
There  is  everywhere  too  much  sameness  in 
advertising  art  work.     Think  of  women's  ap- 

155 


ADVERTISE! 


parel.  What  an  undiscovered  field  lies  here  for 
advertising  art  development.  The  average  il- 
lustration looks  like  a  catalogue  cut,  yet  Vogue 
has  a  way  of  exaggerating  the  fashions  that 
makes  pictures  interesting  and  characteristic. 
Surely  others  might  think  of  more  ways. 

Weigh  and  criticise  every  illustration  as  care- 
fully as  the  copy.     Space  and  cuts  cost  money. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Select  twelve  advertisements  in  which  the  illustration 

and  the  copy  are  not  linked  together,  and  suggest 
changes. 

2.  Suggest  six  striking  advertisements  in  which  copy  and 

illustration  are  linked  closely. 

3.  Rewrite  the  last  six  advertisements  about  different 

ideas,  with  notes  as  to  illustrations  for  them. 

4.  Give  twelve  instances  from  your  experience  of  the  past 

week  which  would  furnish  ideas  for  advertisements 
and  illustrations. 

5.  Cut  out  twelve  advertisements  where  the  illustrations 

are  too  detailed  and  indicate  suggestions  for  new 
illustrations  of  less  detail. 

6.  Select  six  good  advertisements  in  which  the  illustra- 

tions tone  in  with  the  display,  color  of  type,  etc. 

7.  Suggest  a  series  of  six  new  ideas  for  advertising  the 

following:    (a)  Cream  of  Wheat,  (6)  Ivory  Soap,  (c) 
Campbell  Soups. 

8.  Give    brief    instructions    for    illustrations    for    your 

advertisements. 

156 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  ADVERTISING  LETTER 

The  nearest  approach  to  actual,  personal 
salesmanship  is  the  letter. 

While  a  step  more  remote  than  a  personal 
conversation,  it  has  the  advantage  of  accessi- 
bility and  none  of  the  disadvantages  under  which 
the  ablest  of  salesmen  is  bound  to  labor  —  such 
as  personal  antagonism,  moods,  etc. 

When  a  small  amount  of  money  is  to  be  ex- 
pended, a  letter  plan  is  by  far  the  most  effec- 
tive means  of  advertising.  It  is  one  of  the  few 
ways  in  which  results  may  be  obtained  and 
traced  with  a  very  limited  expenditure. 

When  large  campaigns  of  advertising  are  car- 
ried on,  the  letter  should  be  an  important  sup- 
plementary feature. 

Considering  the  importance  of  the  letter,  it 
has  received  a  relatively  small  amount  of  con- 
sideration in  the  advertising  field. 

Of  all  advertising,  the  letter  is  probably  the 
most  difficult  piece  of  work;  as  a  proof  of  this, 
note  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  poor,  un- 
interesting, ineflfective  advertising  letters  that 
are  sent  out. 

157 


ADVERTISE! 


Did  you  ever  see  a  druggist  prepare  a  dose  of 
castor  oil  ?  He  suspends  it  between  palatable 
concoctions  in  so  skillful  a  manner  that  the 
medicine  is  down  before  the  victim  knows  it. 
That  is  the  way  an  advertising  letter  should  be 
written.  The  advertising  should  be  sandwiched 
in  between  such  an  interesting  personal  begin- 
ning and  ending  that  the  reader  is  impressed  even 
after  he  realizes  that  it  is  a  piece  of  advertising. 
It  is  not  always  necessary  that  he  should  realize 
this  at  all  —  for  the  letter  may  be  used  by  those 
who  have  not  yet  dared  other  more  open  forms 
of  advertising. 

If  the  letter  does  not  get  the  attention  of  the 
reader  with  the  opening  sentence,  it  is  a  failure. 
The  first  three  to  ten  words  must  arouse  interest. 
This  first  sentence  must  go  smashing  like  a  brick 
against  the  dull  disinterest  of  the  reader's  mental 
state.  It  must  be  as  rousing  as  a  burglar-alarm 
in  the  middle  of  the  night!  It  must  stimulate 
him  like  a  cold  shower  in  the  early  morning! 
Then  there  must  be  in  this  letter  a  paragraph 
or  a  few  words  that  are  warm,  friendly,  and 
soothing.  These  are  not  compliments  **laid  on 
thick,"  but  a  few  delicately  chosen  words  that 
fairly  coo  to  the  natural  vanity  which  every 
human  being  somewhere  possesses. 

158 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 

Another  feature  of  this  letter  must  be  the 
special  paragraph  that  gives  facts.  This  must 
be  actual  information  —  not  a  general  statement. 
These  facts  must  be  true  and  interesting.  This 
is  the  technical  paragraph  of  the  letter. 

In  conclusion,  the  letter  must  incite  the  reader 
to  action.  Before  the  reader  puts  this  letter 
aside  he  should  do  something  definite  about  it. 
This  paragraph  should  urge  him  on,  spur  him, 
goad  him,  if  necessary  beat  him,  but  make  him 
do  it. 

The  whole  letter  should  have  an  air  of  extreme 
sincerity,  as  though  the  writer  wrote  from  his 
inmost  convictions.  This  is  such  a  hard  thing 
to  imitate  that  it  is  really  necessary  that  the 
writer  be  thoroughly  convinced  before  writing 
advertising  letters.  An  insincere  person  should 
not  attempt  them. 

In  order  to  make  the  first  paragraph  forceful, 
make  it  very  short  and  begin  on  the  "y^^" 
side.  If  possible  make  your  first  word  "you." 
People  are  most  interested  in  themselves. 

Note  these  opening  "you"  paragraphs: 

You  have  moved,  but  you  are  not  settled! 
You  come  first. 

Decidedly  you  should  be  graduated  in  a  blue  or  black  suit. 
It's  only  fair  that  you  should  get  first  pick. 
159  ^ 


ADVERTISE! 


Another  good  beginning  is  some  simple  human- 
interest  opening  such  as: 

So  often  women  say  to  us,  *'  If  I'd  only  known  that  you 
were  having  that  sale!" 

That's  the  worst  of  it!  Things  get  worn  out  and 
broken. 

Or  a  letter  may  begin  in  some  unusual  way,  such 
as  one  of  these: 

It  isn't  every  day  you  get  a  letter  from  a  man  past 
eighty. 
-  Not  by  a  darn  sight ! 
Hello  yourself. 

Sometimes  a  letter  is  opened  with  a  story. 
One  very  clever  letter  writer  used  often  to  use 
incorrect  grammar  to  make  his  letters  sound 
more  natural. 

In  adopting  a  letter  plan  it  is  best  to  have  all 
the  letters  written  and  approved  before  the  first 
one  goes  into  the  mails.  These  should  be 
planned  for  dates,  at  intervals  of  a  week  or  ten 
days  apart.  The  letter  plan  should  be  a  whole, 
complete  system  of  selling,  and  not  a  hap- 
hazard, hit-or-miss  campaign. 

A  fair  test  list  is  5000;  500  receiving  regular 
mailings  is  better  than  50,000  receiving  spas- 
modic letters. 

Often  people  ask  how  many  letters  may  be 
160 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 

sent  to  the  same  person  without  response.  One 
man  responded  only  upon  receipt  of  the  17th 
letter.     And  his  order  was  a  good  one ! 

An  effective  letter  plan  is  to  have  the  first 
letter  signed  by  the  sales  manager  or  treasurer; 
the  third  by  the  secretary;  the  fourth  by  the 
vice  president;  and  the  fifth  by  the  president, 
etc. 

Of  course,  all  the  letters  should  be  perfectly 
multigraphed,  filled  in  to  match,  and  signed  in 
a  different  colored  ink,  unless  each  letter  is 
an  original  which  is  usually  too  expensive  a 
process. 

The  lines  should  not  be  longer  than  four  or 
five  inches,  spacing  single  between  lines  and 
double  between  paragraphs  —  (save  in  very 
short  letters). 

The  letter  may  be  as  long  as  its  interest  will 
allow.  The  average  letter  should  be  contained 
in  from  a  half  to  a  full  page,  but  a  letter  may  be 
so  good  that  it  can  stand  two  pages  —  (very  few 
letters  are  so  good). 

Letters  written  to  people  living  in  the  country 
may  be  longer.  Desirable  effects  are  often 
obtained  by  using  tinted  or  personal  stationary 
of  some  sort. 


161 


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Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Note  the  advertising  letters  following  this  chapter  and 

pick  out  the  "special  technical  paragraphs." 

2.  Note  the  beginnings  of  the  letters  and  determine  what 

is  the  initial  appeal  of  each  letter. 

3.  Note  the  closing  paragraph  of  each  letter.    Are  the 

concluding  suggestions  direct  or  indirect  ? 

4.  Make  a  collection  of  six  other  good  advertising  letters 

and  compare  them  with  the  examples.  Are  the 
opening  sentences  of  collected  letters  as  good  as  the 
examples  given  in  the  book?  Are  the  concluding 
paragraphs  as  strong.'^  Find  the  special  technical 
paragraphs  in  your  letters  and  tell  whether  these 
paragraphs  make  the  points  of  the  letters  clear. 

5.  Referring  back  to  the  notes  which  you  made  on  the 

subject  of  "Honey,"  write  a  series  of  six  follow-up 
letters  urging  the  use  of  honey  and  basing  your 
appeal  upon  the  fact  that  honey  is  predigested  sweet. 
Bring  into  your  special  paragraphs  the  various  ways 
in  which  honey  may  be  used  in  cooking. 

6.  Out  of  your  collection  of  advertising,  select  matter 

upon  six  different  subjects  and  write  six  letters  upon 
each  subject,  after  carefully  studying  the  data. 

7.  Write  a  series  of  follow-up  letters  soliciting  subscrip- 

tions for  Vanity  Fair. 

8.  Write  a  second  series  upon  the  same  subject,  with  the 

first  letter  purporting  to  come  from  an  artist  em- 
ployed on  the  staff;  the  second  from  a  staff  writer; 
the  third  from  the  editor;  the  fourth  from  the 
owner. 

162: 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


9.   Give  twelve  instances  where,  in  your  judgment,  follow- 
up  letters  might  be  effectively  employed. 


Baby's  First  Business  Letter 

Dear  Little  New  Baby: 

You've  begun  to  want  things  before  you  can  talk! 

Perhaps  you  want  a  pretty  new  carriage  cover,  another 
best  Sunday  dress,  an  extra  blanket  or  a  beautiful  new 
rattle! 

Your  mother  —  who  is  going  to  be  the  most  wonderful 
and  wisest  person  in  your  world,  for  many  years  to  come  — 
knows  far  better  than  we,  —  just  what  you  want. 

If  she  will  come  into  the  Baby  Department  of  our  store, 
2nd  floor,  she  can  find  everything  for  you  there.  These 
articles  are  dainty  and  inexpensive. 

In  response  to  this  letter  we  will  sell  her  a  pair  of  our 
fine  25c.  knitted  bootees  with  fancy  trimming  for  19c. 

Very  truly  yours. 

The 

By  (Signed)  M.  K.  Rodman. 
P.S.    Mother! 

As  this  is  the  first  business  letter  your  baby  receives, 
why  not  keep  it  among  his  mementos  ? 


A  Human  Interest  Letter 

Everybody  laughed ! 

—  when  the  antique  chair  collapsed  with  the  gentleman 
who  had  so  proudly  entered  the  drawing-room,  a  moment 
before. 

163 


ADVERTISE! 


Everybody  laughed ! 

—  when  the  lady  tripped  on  a  hole  m  the  library  rug. 
Everybody  laughed! 

—  when  a  friend  tried  to  pull  down  the  shade  and  it  tore 
instead  of  puUing. 

Everybody  laughed! 

—  when  the  cracked  tea-cup  broke  in  the  hand  of  the 
pretty  debutante. 

But  these  were  not  funny  things.  They  were  perfect 
tragedies  of  mortification  to  the  hostesses  and  to  their 
unfortunate  guests.  Who  could  have  foretold  that  *'the 
last  straw  would  break  the  camel's  back"  in  the  full  hme- 
light  of  publicity  ? 

You  know,  it's  the  way  things  always  do  happen. 
Look  about  your  own  home  and  see  if  there  is  anything 
on  the  verge  of  giving  out,  right  now,  because  we  are 
starting  our  great  February  Clearance  in  every  one  of  our 
great  household  departments.  These  sales  give  everyone 
that  once-a-year  opportunity  for  house  over-hauling. 
From  pots  and  kettles,  in  our  basement  house  furnishing 
department,  to  carpets,  rugs,  draperies,  china  and  furni- 
ture, we've  not  omitted  a  thing  for  the  home,  from  this 
great  sale. 

The  sale  starts  Monday,  February  1,  and  that's  not  a 
day  too  early  for  you  to  come.  Look  your  house  over 
right  now  and  see  what's  out  of  order. 

Antique  furniture  is  charming  in  fiction,  but  Berkey  & 
Gay  is  more  substantial  in  every  day  life. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Melvin  Leonard 


164 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 

A  Different  Letter  to  Girls 

Dear  Miss  Brown: 

,     An  ill  fitting  or  shabby  pair  of  shoes  is  enough  to  spoil   rj-ACv 
any  girl's  graduation.  1 

^  As  you  go  on  in  life  you  will  find  this  one  thing  true  — 
it  is  the  little  things  that  continually  mar  the  perfect  day. 

"h  Now  here  you  are  approaching  a  very  important  occa- 
sion in  your  life,  one  of  those  times  when  you  want  things 
to  run  as  smoothly  as  greased  wheels  —  most  particularly 
those  things  pertaining  to  your  personal  appearance. 
You  are  anxious,  your  mother  is  anxious,  and  we  too  are 
anxious  that  you  should  appear  at  your  very  tip-top  best 
at  the  moment  of  your  graduation,  when  you  will  be  sub- 
jected to  critical  and  careful  observation. 

And  it's  just  such  a  time  as  this  when  one  little  thing  — 
such  as  the  shoes,  before  mentioned,  a  sash  askew,  an 
unbecoming  hair  arrangement,  or  a  poorly  chosen  dress  — 
will  spoil  the  day  for  you.  .  ' 

Don't  let  this  happen.    —     ^'^-^.  li^^K 

The  Blank  Company  is  headquarters  for  girls' 
apparel.  We  pride  ourselves  that  there  is  not  a  thing  for 
girls,  commended  by  good  taste,  that  we  have  not  in- 
cluded in  our  stock.  From  our  ready-to-wear  apparel  to 
our  unusual  selection  of  fabrics  suitable  for  graduation 
dresses;  from  our  shoe  department  to  our  hair-dressing 
salon,  we  are  fully  prepared  to  assist  you  in  appearing  at 
your  best.  And  right  here  we  want  to  say  when  a  girl  is 
awkward  it  is  because  she  is  not  properly  dressed.  Every 
girl  has  a  style  of  her  own,  and  we  study  that  style  to  give 
it  individual  distinction. 

-^  You  can  make  your  wardrobe  as  inexpensive  as  you 

165 


ADVERTISE! 


choose,  for  good  taste  is  not  at  all  a  matter  of  spending  a 

lot  of  money.     Just  come  in  and  tell  us  about  the  things 

you  need  and  let  us  begin  suggesting. 

Sn  Our  Miss  Berggren  will  be  pleased  to  devote  individual 

time  and  attention  to  your  needs  and  to  tell  you  about 

the  several  things  we  are  offering  you  girl  graduates,  at 

special  prices. 

(/^  We  suggest  that  you  attend  to  these  things  right  now, 

before  the  hurry  and  rush  of  the  last  moment.     Why  not 

come  in  today  ? 

^  With  congratulations, 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  Blank  Company 


Four  Letters  that  Pulled  Business  from  Men 

Dear  Mr.  Fulton: 

If  a  blind  man  on  a  dark  night  picked  out  a  necktie  for 
you  in  The  Bright  Men's  Shop,  it  would  be  a  good  tie! 

The  only  neckties  we  have  are  good  ties.  We  carry  no 
poor  ties,  no  homely  ties,  no  atrocious  ties. 

Of  course,  your  personal  taste  counts  for  a  great  deal  in 
picking  out  ties  —  but  it  is  good  to  know  that  you  are 
shopping  where  you  cannot  make  a  mistake  —  either  in 
pattern  or  material. 

Most  dealers  in  neckties  have  advanced  their  prices, 
because  silks  are  going  up  —  but  we  are  selling  our  ties 
from  the  very  same  qualities  of  silk  at  the  same  prices  as 
before.     You  cannot  find  elsewhere  so  large  and  good  an 

166 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


assortment  of  ties  at  50c.     Our  ties  at  $1.00  and  more  are 
unexcelled. 

Why  not  pick  out  a  few  new  ties  now  ? 

Very  truly  yours,  ^ 

The  Bright  Men's  Shop 
By  (Signed)  C.  C.  Carney 
P.S.     You  will  find  our  Wait-on- You-in-a-Jifly  service 
most  convenient. 

2 

Dear  Mr.  Martin : 

,  He  put  his  laundry  mark  on  some  of  our  $1.00  shirts 
three  years  ago  and  is  still  getting  them  home  every  week, 
fresh  and  like  new. 

We  call  that  an  acid  test  for  ^hirts. 

If  our  shirts  can  give  such  good  service,  if  they  offer  the 
choicest  selection  of  patterns  in  addition,  then  they  must 
be  the  sort  of  shirts  you  want  to  buy. 

We  want  you  to  appreciate  our  shirts  —  because  we 
think  them  exceptionally  well  assorted.  We  have  the 
staple  patterns  and  a  lot  of  snappy  novelties,  as  well, 
both  soft  and  stiff  cuffs.  The  prices  range  from  $1.00  to 
$10.00. 

And  just  a  word  about  collars:  The  man  who  buys 
collars  for  us  is  a  crank  on  ~tEe~subject.  We  know  that 
most  men  are  particular  about  collars  —  and  we  are  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  demands  of  any  man  in  Toledo  on  the 
collar  question.  Just  come  in  our  Arapahoe  Entrance  and 
name  the  sort  of  collar  and  see  how  quick  you  will  get  it. 

Our  Wait-on- You-in-a-Jiffy  service  is  especially  planned 
for  you  busy  men.     The  separate  Arapahoe  Street  en- 

167 


ADVERTISE! 


trance  makes  our  Men's  Shop  an  entirely  distinct  store 
for  men. 

"Here's  your  change  and  thank  you'*  —  almost  before 
you  get  the  words  out  of  your  mouth. 
Very  truly  yours, 

The  Bright  Men's  Shop 
By  (Signed)  C.  C.  Carney 

3 

Dear  Mr.  Ebright: 

Are  there  holes  in  the  sox  you  have  on  at  this  moment  ? 

If  so,  we  have  picked  out  the  opportune  moment  to  say 
a  word  to  you  about  good  hosiery  for  men. 

The  fact  that  sox  are  hole-less  is  only  a  third  of  the 
story.  The  other  two-thirds  is  that  they  are  well  dyed, 
with  pure  antiseptic  dyes,  and  that  they  fit  your  feet  and 
ankles. 

You  may  be  wearing  perfectly  new  hosiery  that  is 
uncomfortable  and  hard  on  your  feet. 

We  are  finicky  on  the  subject  of  foot  comfort.  We 
believe  our  Interwoven  hosiery  is  the  very  best  on  the 
market  today.  The  yarn  from  which  these  sox  are  made 
is  very  fine  and  soft.  Your  feet  are  never  irritated.  The 
sox  keep  their  shape,  hug  the  ankle,  and  stay  up. 

We  have  the  various  weights  and  colors  —  though  the 
majority  of  men  buy  black  now. 

Why  not  give  yourself  this  one  luxury  of  plenty  of  these 
good  sox?     Stop  in  our  Men's  Shop  on  your  way  home 
tonight  and  buy  yourself  some  and  give  them  a  trial. 
Very  truly. 

The  Bright  Men's  Shop 

By  (Signed)  C.  C.  Carney 
168 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


4 
Dear  Mr.  Cassedy: 

Have  you  put  your  warmer  weight  underwear  on  yet? 
V  This  letter  is  just  to  remind  you  —  the  way  your 
mother  used  to  do  —  that  it  is  high  time  to  provide  your- 
self with  winter  underwear. 

3  There's  a  lot  of  "horse  sense"  in  this  change  of  under- 
wear with  changing  weather.  No  need  to  let  your  tem- 
perature go  down  with  the  thermometer.  If  you  do,  you 
are  sure  to  lower  your  vitality  and  decrease  your  efficiency. 
vJWe  keep  practically  every  good  variety  of  underwear 
on  the  market  in  our  Men's  Shop,  underwear  that  sells 
from  $1.00  the  suit,  up.  Some  men  prefer  wool,  some 
part  wool,  and  still  others  find  a  heavy  weight  cotton 
warm  enough.  You  can  best  judge  of  the  proper  weights 
when  you  have  so  many  varieties  from  which  to  choose. 
'^  The  healthiest  men  tell  us  that  they  have  different 
weights  for  every  season,  and  change  according  to  the 
weather.  This  helps  to  keep  the  skin  active  and  elimi- 
nates poison  from  the  system. 

\f  We  have  men  in  our  Men's  Shop  well  up  on  this  under- 
wear subject.  Five  minutes  intelligent  conversation  with 
one  of  these  men  may  save  you  no  end  of  colds  and  ill- 
, advised  purchases. 

We  know  you  are  a  busy  man,  and  we  will  take  the 
least  possible  time  in  helping  you  select  your  underwear. 
•^Why  not  stop  in  today? 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  Bright  Men's  Shop 
By  (Signed)  C.  C.  Carney 


169 


ADVERTISE! 


Advertising  Advertising 
Dear  Mr.  Makepeace: 

Your  business  is  different. 

And  you  feel  it  can't  be  advertised.     So  that's  settled. 

Then  let  us  advertise  one-eighth  of  your  business.  To 
explain:  The  Chattanooga  Roofing  &  Foundry  Company 
manufacture  and  catalogue  over  1400  items.  They  sell 
to  retailers.  They  sell  to  jobbers.  They  sell  to  con- 
tractors. They  sell  to  consumers.  In  fact,  they  have  at 
least  eight  separate  and  distinct  businesses  all  rolled  up  in 
one.  Nothing  on  earth  could  advertise  that  whole 
immense  complex  business. 

But  —  four  years  ago  we  commenced  advertising  a  little 
side  line  made  in  one  corner  of  their  factory  —  a  corner 
about  20  X  20.  Today  "tin  shingles"  is  one  of  the  biggest 
parts  of  their  plant. 

Nothing  in  business  life  is  absolutely  permanent.  The 
big  end  today  may  be  the  little  thing  tomorrow,  and  vice 
versa.  Maybe  one  little  thing  that  you  manufacture  has 
possibilities  that  you  have  never  even  dreamed  about. 

A  good  honest  "specialty"  backed  by  common-sense 
advertising  could  make  you  rich  —  easier  and  quicker  — 
than  anything  else  on  earth.  Are  you  dead  sure  you 
haven't  such  an  opportunity  hidden  away  in  some  dark 
comer  of  your  office  or  plant  ? 

Sincerely, 

The  New  Advertising  Co. 


170 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


Yes,  He  Got  the  Orders! 
Dear  Sir: 

I'm  almost  eighty  years  old,  but  I'm  going  to  write  a 
letter.     I  hope  you'll  read  it  all. 

You  see,  it  isn't  every  day  that  you  get  a  letter  from  a 
man  who  ha§  made  rockers,  chairs,  and  settees  for  almost 
three-fourths  of  a  century. 

I  learned  the  cabinet-making  trade  at  the  bench  when 
a  boy.  I  learned  it  right.  But  soon  I  said  to  myself, 
*'Go  west,  young  man,"  so  I  went  west,  clear  to  St.  Louis, 
U.  S.  A.  That  was  60  years  ago.  And  my  seven-story 
chair  factory  is  almost  on  that  same  spot  to-day.  I  grew 
up  and  my  factory  grew  up  too. 

Then,  I  brought  my  sons  up  in  the  business.  I  worked 
hard  myself,  I  worked  them  hard.  They  were  willing  to 
work  hard.  They  are  all  oflScers  in  this  Company  to-day. 
But  first  they  showed  me  that  they  had  learned  the  busi- 
ness from  A  to  Z  —  and  that  they  could  sell  our  line  out 
on  the  road,  against  any  and  all  competition. 

I  have  also  trained  here  a  faithful,  loyal  band  of  em- 
ployees —  men  I  am  proud  to  call  my  friends.  My  men 
"stick."  For  instance,  my  chief  designer  has  been  with 
our  house  twenty-five  years,  and  the  foreman  of  the 
factory  the  same  length  of  time.  But  they're  all  my 
"boys"  to  me.  I  take  great  pride  in  seeing  sons  working 
with  their  fathers  in  the  different  departments  here.  And 
their  grandsons  are  coming  along!  We  have  all  grown  up 
together.  That's  what  has  helped  to  put  Conrad's  Chair 
Company  where  it  is  to-day. 

And  my  company  will  go  right  on  growing.  Why? 
Listen  —  we  are  constantly  improving  upon  our  manu- 

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facturing  facilities  and  adding  new  designs.  Some  of  us 
may  be  old  hands  at  the  business,  but  you'll  find  that  our 
line  is  always  strictly  up-to-date. 

Furthermore,  "Conrad's  Chairs"  sell  and  satisfy. 
They  always  sell  quickly  and  give  the  dealers  a  good 
honest  profit.  They  satisfy  the  dealers  and  customers 
because  they're  all  made  in  our  regular  honest  and  careful 
way.     They  get  new  customers,  always,  invariably. 

Let  me  give  you  a  few  other  reasons:  First  of  all, 
quality.  In  the  sixty  years  we  have  been  manufacturing 
we  have  never  cut  quality  for  the  sake  of  economy  and 
extra  profits.  And  we  never  will.  Everybody  in  the 
trade  knows  well  that  Conrad's  never  misrepresents.  We 
buy  the  best  woods  and  season  them  in  our  own  lumber 
yards  one  or  two  years.     We  also  have  our  own  dry  kiln. 

Then  with  the  latest  and  best  woodworking  machinery 
we  combine  absolute  honesty  of  workmanship.  Although 
we  fill  orders  promptly,  there  is  no  rough,  hurry-up  work 
in  making  our  goods.  For  instance:  We  bend  all  our 
underlockers.  We  double  groove  parts  of  our  wood  seats, 
in  addition  to  glueing  them.  We  use  largely  the  bent 
continuous  post  construction  for  the  backs,  because  it  is  a 
strong,  lasting  method.  We  pass  on  new  designs  every 
week,  thus  our  styles  are  always  up-to-the-minute. 

Every  rocker  is  absolutely  true,  restful,  and  reliable. 
Every  model  is  actually  rocked  in  by  expert  inspectors 
before  it  is  allowed  to  leave  the  factory.  And  that  same 
rigid  inspection  applies  to  everything  else  made  here.  I 
guess  you  see  now  why  Conrad's  Chairs  Sell  and  Satisfy  — ■ 
why  we  hold  our  customers,  year  after  year,  some  of  them 
-^  and  their  sons  —  as  long  as  we  have  been  in  business. 

172 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


Now,  in  closing,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  do  an  old  man 
a  little  personal  favor.  It  will  take  you  only  a  minute. 
I  asjc  you  to  tell  me  on  the  enclosed  postal  card  if  you  read 
this  letter.  And  I  would  like  to  have  you  tell  me  frankly 
if  you  can  suggest  any  way  in  which  we  can  improve  our 
rockers  and  other  goods.  That  is  very  important.  It 
is  for  our  mutual  benefit. 

It  will  also,  naturally,  be  a  matter  of  great  pride  to  me 
if  I  can  get  an  order  from  you  now  for  anything  in  our 
catalogue.  I  would  just  like  to  show  my  sons  that  the 
"old  man"  can  still  sell  goods. 

Will  you  help  me  show  them  that  ?  It  certainly  would 
please  me.  You  can  write  your  order  on  the  enclosed 
card. 

I  thank  you  for  the  courtesy  in  reading  this  letter,  and 
I  wish  you  all  happiness  and  prosperity. 

Yours  sincerely, 


A  Closing  Letter  -      . 

Dear  Sir: 

You  hate  a  quitter. 

So  do  I. 

Here  goes  my  twelfth  letter.     I  may  fall  down  —  but 
I  won't  he  down.     Not  till  you  tell  me  to. 

When  business  is  hard  to  get,  you  and  I  both  appreciate 
it  just  that  much  more.     Give  me  a  minute.     Listen  —  I 

have  one  of  the  largest in  the  United  States. 

[Selling  argument] 

This  letter  is  too  long  ?     All  right,  we'll  quit,  —  but 
right  here  and  now  you've  GOT  to  do  one  of  two  thmgs: 

173       . 


ADVERTISE! 


Either  tell  me  on  this  prepaid  reply  card  to  come  and 
see  you  —  or  tell  me  "Why." 

Thanking  you  for  reading  this  letter,  and  thanking  you 
in  advance  for  signing  and  mailing  the  enclosed  card. 
Yours  for  quahty  printing. 


A  Closing  Letter  that  Pulled 
Dear  Sir: 

I  guess  I  must  be  like  that  recruit  down  in  Jefferson 
Barracks.     He  couldn't  hit  the  target  at  any  distance. 

Finally,  the  enraged  lieutenant  yelled:  "Attention! 
Fix  bayonet!     Charge  the  target!" 

Must  I  charge  right  into  your  private  office,  back  you 
into  a  corner,  and  choke  out  of  you  the  reason  why  you 
never  paid  any  attention  to  my  letters  to  you?  You 
never  wrote.  You  never  signed  a  mailing  card.  You 
never  did  a thing.     And  that  HURTS. 

All  I've  been  trying  to  do  —  all  I  AM  trying  to  do  — 
is  this.  Get  a  chance  to  talk  to  you  for  ten  minutes.  Is 
there  any  law  against  that  ? 

I  just  want  to  prove  to  you  that  the is  the  peer 

of  any  in  the  United  States,  —  on  Quality  —  at  Fair 
Prices. 

Won't  you  "come  across"  with  those  600  seconds  for 

me?     How  can  you   lose  by  getting wise  even  if 

you  never  give  me  a  solitary  order  ? 

Here's  the  appointment  card.     Use  it.     USE  IT  NOW. 

Yours  hopefully, 
P.S.    This  is  a  very  small  thing,  isn't  it  ? 

174 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 

Curiosity  Pulled  a  Big  Response  Here 

"After  burning  the  midnight  oil,  and  translating 
ItaUan  we've  composed  an  essay  entitled  *What  is  the 
Western  Man  Short  on!'" 

This  rather  startUng  revelation  deals  in  plain,  frank 
facts,  and  so  interested  our  printer  that  he  read  when  he 
should  have  been  printing  and  so  delayed  our  work.  But 
now  we  are  ready  and  we  have  a  copy  for  you. 

If  you  dare  to  read  this  essay,  return  the  enclosed  card 
to  our  advertising  manager,  who  will  see  that  you  get 
your  copy  promptly. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Chicago  Men's  Store 
(Signed)  Samuel  B.  Wheeler 

(Card  Enclosed) 


Dear  Sir : 

Please  send  me  your  essay  entitled: 
"What  is  the  Western  Man  Short  on?" 

(Signed) 


(Address) 


Firm  address  on  reverse  side  of  card. 


175 


ADVERTISE! 


There's  Truth  in  this  Letter 

"r/ia^s  the  worst  of  it!" 

Things  in  your  house  get  broken,  worn  out,  lost,  and 
out  of  date  They  do  in  everyone's  house.  There  is  not 
a  single,  solitary  house  in  this  city  where  something  is  not 
out  of  order  or  harmony,  at  times.  Either  the  sun  has 
faded  the  front  parlor  rug,  or  the  laundress  has  broken 
the  ironing  board,  or  something! 

Now,  here's  the  best  of  it! 

Every  February  our  five  great  house  furnishing  depart- 
ments hold  a  great  sale  for  home-makers,  a  once-a-year 
opportunity  for  house  overhauling.  The  time  for  this 
sale  has  now  arrived  and  more  vigorously  than  ever  before 
these  big  departments  are  taking  hold  with  the  avowed 
intention  of  giving  to  every  housekeeper  just  what  she  is 
looking  for  in  every  article  she  may  wish  or  desire,  and 
at  most  inducing  prices.  Starting  down  in  our  basement, 
house-furnishing  department,  beginning  with  all  the  pots, 
pans,  laundry,  kitchen  articles,  etc.,  this  sale  sweeps 
through  our  big,  beautiful  rug  and  carpet  department, 
our  drapery  section,  our  china  department  and  finally 
embraces  our  great  floor  of  fine  furniture. 

We  have  not  omitted  a  single  home  requirement.  We 
honestly  believe  this  is  the  most  comprehensive  sale  of 
this  character  ever  held  in  this  city.  But  we  want  to 
prove  this  statement  to  you. 

Why  not  give  your  home,  right  now,  this  once-a-year 
over-hauling?  On  the  verge  of  the  Spring  season,  why 
not  take  immediate  advantage  of  this  sale  and  replenish, 
refurnish  and  refresh  your  home  ? 

Visit  every  on?  of  our  House  Departments.    Even  if 

176 


THE    ADVERTISING    LETTER 


your  home  does  not  need  a  single  new  article  —  there  is, 
at  least,  some  new  idea  that  you  can  glean  from  this  sale 
which  we  are  holding  expressly  for  your  benefit. 

The  sale  starts  Monday,  February  2.  We  are  taking 
special  pains  to  notify  you  before  making  our  advertising 
more  general.     Why  not  be  among  the  first-comers  ? 

Very  truly  yours. 

The  Jennings  Co. 

By  A.  B.  Cox 


Extracts  from  Some  Letters  that  Brought  Business 

"If  you  are  not  too  tired,  too  old,  or  too  rich  to  make 
more  money  —  write  us." 

"Any  kind  of  answer  is  better  than  the  dark,  thick 
silence  that  has  entombed  you  to  date." 

"Whatever  you  want  you  can  do  except  twirl  your 
thumbs  and  keep  still." 

"  Criticize,  —  jump  on  the  price,  kick  about  the  looks 
or  quality,  if  you  think  any  of  these  things  are  wrong,  — 
scare  our  office  cat  into  a  spasm  or  poke  fun  at  the  color 
of  our  hair  —i  anything  —  but  don't  keep  still." 


177 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  ADVERTISING  FOLLOW-UP 

Suppose  a  man  were  to  fall  in  love  with  a 
pretty  girl,  and  call  upon  her  just  once,  what 
chance  would  he  have  to  win  her?  He  would 
have  to  call,  and  keep  calling,  and  telephone, 
and  send  flowers,  and  in  all  the  various  ways  in 
which  men  do  those  things  prove  that  he  was 
"in  the  running"  and  "on  the  job,"  before  he 
could  dare  to  put  her  feelings  to  the  test. 

Yet,  there  is  no  woman  whose  favor  is  more 
fickle,  more  difficult  to  win,  or  more  elusive  than 
that  of  the  buying  public. 

This  is  why  advertising  requires  as  much 
skill  as  trout  fishing;  the  hook  must  be  con- 
stantly baited,  and  the  bait  must  be  continually 
changed. 

In  nearly  every  city  there  is  a  great  per  cent 
of  business  men  whose  advertising  is  never  seen. 
Ask  any  hundred  people  about  any  one  of  these 
concerns,  and  they  will  assure  you  that  they  do 
not  advertise.  But  ask  the  proprietors,  and 
they  will  assure  you  that  they  do.  Consult  the 
books,  and  you  will  find  that  all  the  way  from 
$1000  to  $5000  a  year  is  paid  out  for  "adver- 

178 


THE    ADVERTISING    FOLLOW-UP 

tising."  The  newspapers  refer  to  these  men  as 
"sleepers."  And  so  they  certainly  are!  It  is 
a  positive  insult  to  the  science  of  advertising  to 
call  such  a  waste  of  good  money  —  advertising. 

Single  pieces  of  publicity,  a  letter  here,  a 
booklet  there,  a  newspaper  advertisement  oc- 
casionally, cannot  properly  be  termed  advertis- 
ing, because  they  accomplish  none  of  the  results 
of  advertising.  They  only  serve  to  convince  the 
perpetrators  that  there  is  nothing  to  be  gained 
through  advertising. 

Advertising  experts  execute  such  pieces  of 
work  at  a  detriment  to  their  own  calling. 

The  whole  secret  of  advertising  lies  in  the 
follow-up. 

Effective  advertising  is  a  chain  of  ideas,  care- 
fully  linked  together,  forcefully  expressed,  and 
scientifically  calcidated  to  produce  a  cumulative 
reaction  upon  a  definite  group  of  people. 

Where  one  letter  will  fail,  ten  letters  will 
succeed.  Where  a  month's  newspaper  adver- 
tising will  fall  flat,  a  year's  advertising  will  show 
a  splendid  result. 

And  best  of  all,  the  advertising  done  in  past 
years  becomes  an  actual  asset,  so  that  the  years 
of  past  advertising  have  a  cumulative  effect. 

Before  the  first  advertisement  appears  in 
179 


ADVERTISE! 


print,  the  follow-up  should  be  planned,  and  when 
possible,  should  be  prepared.  When  advertising 
is  written  in  this  way,  it  has  a  unity  which  it  can 
never  have  when  a  single  piece  of  copy  is  pre- 
pared at  one  time,  and  another  at  another,  etc. 
In  fact,  there  should  be  some  one  central  idea 
about  which  the  whole  thing  revolves,  and  this 
can  be  best  planned  out  when  the  work  is  pre- 
pared, all  at  once  —  or  at  least  when  one  part  of 
it,  covering  any  one  particular  phase,  is  prepared 
at  once. 

Your  follow-up  may  be  of  the  same  kind  or  of 
different  kinds;  that  is,  you  may  have  a  letter 
plan  of  six  letters;  or  you  may  have  a  letter  and 
six  house  organs  and  one  letter;  or  a  letter  and 
two  folders  and  two  letters,  and  a  card  and  a 
letter;  or  it  may  be  all  newspaper  copy,  or  news- 
paper and  letters  and  street  cars,  etc. 

But  the  big  point  is  this  —  link  it  all  up, 
make  it  all  bring  home  your  point,  step  by  step. 
Reach  your  public  by  every  effective  means. 
Remember  that  one  man  reads  the  paper,  an- 
other the  street  car  card,  another  opens  his  mail, 
while  another  reads  his  theatre  program,  still 
another  will  see  that  bill  board.  And  the  man 
who  reads  your  advertisement  in  all  these  places 
is  none  the  worst  prospect  —  in  fact,  he  is  surer. 

180 


THE    ADVERTISING    FOLLOW-UP 

But  do  not  scatter  your  fire.  If  you  cannot 
afford  to  do  all  of  these  things  effectively,  do 
the  things  you  can  afford  thoroughly.  Do  not 
spread  your  advertising  money  out  thin.  Con- 
centrate and  follow  up.  If  it  is  the  letter  — 
send  sixteen  letters  if  necessary  to  5000  men  — ■ 
and  land  them.  If  your  advertising  is  properly 
written,  you  will  be  surprised  how  many  you 
will  actually  close  by  this  means  —  not  merely 
interest,  but  close! 

'  You  will  naturally  select  the  most  appropriate 
means  for  the  thing  you  are  advertising.  Small, 
inexpensive  articles  —  anything  under  $1.00  — 
will  sell  by  mere  publicity,  but  things  which 
require  more  detailed  explanation  must  be  more 
carefully  thought  over. 

Whatever  your  proposition  is,  make  your  plan 
first,  and  by  whatever  means  you  advertise  — 
FOLLOW  UP! 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  What  follow-up  plan  of  advertising  would  you  use  if 

ypu  were  opening  up  a  new  department  in  the 
largest  store  in  your  city  ? 

2.  What  would  be  your  follow-up  for  live  list  of  5000 

prospects  for  an  automobile  ? 

3.  How  would  you  plan  to  add  a  thousand  new  customers 

to  the  principal  drug  store  in  your  city  ? 
181 


ADVERTISE! 


4.  If  you  were  selling  stocks  and  bonds,  how  would  you 

spend  $10,000  to  advertise  to  doctors  and  dentists? 

5.  If  you  were  a  printer,  what  would  be  your  general 

plan  of  advertising  and  follow-up  ? 

6.  If  you  were  opening  a  brand  new  department  store  in 

your  city,  what  would  be  your  general  publicity 
plan  and  follow-up?  What  per  cent  would  you 
appropriate  for  this  work  ?  (See  chapter  on  "  The 
Advertising  Appropriation.") 

7.  If  you  were  putting  on  the  market  a  new  face  powder, 

what  would  be  your  advertising  scheme  ? 

8.  How  would  you  procure  distribution  for  your  face 

powder;  through  trade  journal  advertising? 
Through  direct  advertising  ?  Or  through  salesmen, 
exclusively  ?  Or  through  salesmen  and  a  follow-up 
plan  ?     If  the  latter,  what  would  be  your  plan  ? 

9.  How  would  you  create  a  demand    or  your  product? 

Would  you  use  street  card  advertising,  magazine 
advertising,  bill  board  advertising,  or  a  combina- 
tion? 
10.   What  original  plan  of  advertising  would  you  suggest 
for  a  grocery  and  market  ? 


182 


CHAPTER  XIX 

BOOKLETS,  FOLDERS,  ETC,  DIRECT 
ADVERTISING 

Direct  advertising,  under  which  may  be 
classed  booklets,  folders,  letters,  cards,  etc., 
offers  the  best  means  of  telling  the  advertising 
story  in  detail. 

'  It  is  only  when  it  is  necessary  to  go  into 
details  that  the  booklet  and  the  folder  assume 
an  important  place.  Barring  the  catalogue, 
which  has  a  more  or  less  limited  use,  the  booklet 
and  the  folder  offer  the  best  means  of  telling  the 
whole  story.  This  is  where  the  advertiser  liter- 
ally sits  down  and  tells  them  all  about  it. 
Right  here  is  where  your  gift  as  a  story  teller 
will  come  in  —  for  the  booklet  or  the  folder 
simply  must  sustain  the  interest. 

There  is  probably  no  place  where  there  is  a 
greater  waste  of  good  advertising  dollars  than  in 
the  publishing  of  poorly  written,  cheaply  printed, 
badly  distributed  advertising  matter  of  this 
type.  Some  of  it  never  goes  out  of  the  offices 
of  the  companies  who  print  it.  Nearly  every 
oflSce  cherishes  in  its  closets  uncirculated  adver- 

183 


ADVERTISE! 


tising,  which  "is  somehow  or  other  beUeved  to 
be  getting  business  —  though  how  it  can  get 
business  on  the  top  shelf  of  an  office  closet,  it  is 
difficult  to  imagine!  The  next  largest  percent- 
age goes  straight  into  the  waste  paper  basket  of 
the  recipient. 

Why  ?  Because  it's  dull.  It's  just  as  dull  as 
some  person  whom  you  know  is  a  bore,  and  who 
is  going  to  pin  you  in  a  corner  and  tell  you  a 
long,  tiresome  story  that  you  know  all  about 
before  it  is  started. 

But  nobody  has  to  read  advertising.  No, 
indeed!  That's  the  worst  of  it.  The  people 
who  pay  for  it  seem  to  have  confidence  that  they 
will,  but  they  will  not.  If  you  do  not  believe 
this,  go  into  any  office  building  and  examine  the 
waste  paper  baskets.  Or  better  yet,  do  this  — 
hand  out  your  folder  or  booklet  to  a  friend  and 
watch  him.  If  he  puts  it  in  his  pocket,  your 
advertisement  is  doomed.  It  is  only  when  he 
says,  "Well,  well,  what's  this.^"  that  you  may 
know  you  have  his  interest.  If  he  glances  at  it, 
count  upon  it  he  will  glance  again,  and  then  if 
it  continues  interesting,  he  will  read. 

But  how  interesting  it  must  be  —  interesting 
in  title,  color,  design,  and  illustrations! 

As  a  general  thing,  the  booklet  should  have 
184 


BOOKLETS    AND    FOLDERS 

some  startling  title.  It  should  pique  curiosity 
rather  than  satisfy  it. 

There  are  three  ways  in  which  the  booklet  or 
folder  should  tell  the  story:  In  the  illustrations, 
in  the  headings,  and  in  the  reading  matter 
proper.  To  do  this  is  to  make  for  unity  and 
interest,  and  to  give  the  least  chance  for  escap- 
ing attention.  The  whole  thing  should  be  so 
plain  that  even  a  casual  glance  will  give  the 
reader  some  idea  as  to  what  you  wish  to  con- 
'Vey,  and  will  tempt  him  to  read  further. 

It  must  be  easy  to  read  —  printed  in  good, 
legible  type  (see  the  chapter  on  "The  Eye  in 
Advertising").  It  should  be  well  balanced;  it 
should  be  well  designed;  and  when  colors  are 
used,  these  should  be  artistically  employed. 

The  styles  in  booklets  and  folders  vary  from 
year  to  year,  and  it  is  well  to  keep  in  touch  with 
these  new,  up-to-date  printing  fashions,  for  the 
very  shape  of  a  folder  or  booklet  may  be  an 
asset. 

When  the  subject  is  one  which  permits  a  touch 
of  humor,  this  may  be  employed  judiciously  in 
the  illustration  or  text,  or  in  both.  But  no 
matter  how  dead-in-earnest  the  booklet  is,  it 
simply  must  be  a  gripping,  well-written,  appeal- 
ing piece  of  work  in  order  to  bring  returns  large 

185 


ADVERTISE! 


enough  to  pay  for  its  publication.  Practically 
everything  that  has  been  said  of  other  advertis- 
ing matter  applies  to  the  booklet  or  folder  — 
except  the  fact  that  it  may  be  more  wordy. 

The  lay-out  or  dummy  should  be  made  on  the 
same  principle  upon  which  you  lay  out  a  news- 
paper advertisement.  After  having  well  in 
mind  your  subject  matter,  —  your  photographs, 
illustrations,  notes,  fac-simile  letters,  etc.,  — 
first  determine  upon  the  size  or  form.  You  will 
find  that  your  booklet  will  run  in  multiples  of 
four  pages,  8,  12,  16,  20,  24,  32,  etc.,  and  this 
may  or  may  not  include  your  cover. 

After  having  determined  its  size  and  shape, 
have  your  printer  make  you  an  exact  dummy  — 
or  furnish  you  with  the  paper  in  order  that  you 
may  make  one  yourself. 

On  this  dummy  you  must  first  select  the 
places  for  your  cuts.  These  will  appear  better 
if  uniform  in  size,  and  either  arranged  in  a  uni- 
form manner  or  balanced. 

Draw  on  the  dummy  outlines  of  the  exact  size 
of  the  cuts,  indicating  them  by  letters,  and  mark 
in  your  copy  by  number.  Try  not  to  get  too 
much  copy  to  a  page;  it  will  display  to  better 
advantage  if  there  is  not  too  much  reading 
matter. 

186 


BOOKLETS    AND    FOLDERS 

While  you  may  have  several  typewritten 
pages  for  your  first  booklet  page,  this  is  all 
"Copy  (1)"  —  according  to  your  indication  to 
the  printer.  You  can  either  pin  your  pages 
together  or  mark  on  each  page  "Copy  (1)." 
Besides  this  instruction  to  the  printer,  your  text 
should  be  numbered  straight  through  in  the 
usual  way.  Paper  of  uniform  size  should  be 
used.  By  turning  over  to  your  printer  a  nice, 
clean,  well-calculated  lay-out,  which  will  fit  into 
.the  space,  you  will  save  hours  of  time,  save 
money,  and  get  a  more  satisfactory  job  from 
start  to  finish. 

Get  your  proofs  and  read  them  each  time 
carefully  —  read  backwards  in  case  you  are  not 
certain  of  catching  every  error.  Folders  and 
catalogues  should  be  handled  in  exactly  the  same 
way. 

The  more  famihar  you  are  with  printing 
papers,  the  better  you  will  be  able  to  judge 
effects.  Papers  are  much  like  materials.  It  is 
part  of  the  business  of  the  advertising  expert  to 
study  papers  and  their  uses. 

The  booklet  or  the  folder  usually  makes  a  bad 
preliminary  piece  of  advertising  matter.  It  is 
better  as  a  part  of  a  follow-up  system.  When 
you  send  a  booklet,  folder,  or  catalogue  upon 

187 


ADVERTISE! 


request,  you  are  certain  of  interest  at  the  start. 
You  may  advertise  it  by  letter  or  otherwise. 

It  is  possible  to  make  a  booklet  a  very  beauti- 
ful and  interesting  piece  of  advertising,  one  that 
will  be  called  for  and  retained.     , 

Similar  to  the  booklet  in  many  respects  is  the 
House  Organ  —  a  form  of  direct  advertising 
popular  with  many  wholesale  concerns.  The 
House  Organ  is  a  little  monthly  magazine,  which 
is  sent  to  dealers,  subscription  free,  for  six 
months  or  a  year.  In  lay-out  and  size  it  pre- 
sents the  same  booklet  problems  —  but  it  differs 
in  its  style  of  copy.  The  House  Organ  must  be 
chatty,  confidential,  and  newsy.  The  advertis- 
ing must  be  cleverly  sandwiched  in  between 
rhymes,  apropos  jokes,  news,  etc.  Cleverly 
edited,  the  House  Organ  is  sure  to  get  near  to 
the  trade  and  prove  a  big  business  getter, 
particularly  when  coupled  to  a  strong  letter 
campaign. 

Whatever  form  of  direct  advertising  you  use, 
be  sure  to  put  every  piece  of  advertising  matter 
in  circulation,  and  FOLLOW  UP! 


188 


BOOKLETS    AND    FOLDERS 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Collect  a  dozen  booklets  and  folders  that  in  your 

opinion  are  good  pieces  of  advertising. 

2.  Select   the  best   three   in  printing,   color,   type,   and 

design. 

3.  Which  one  in  your  opinion  has  the  most  attractive 

title.? 

4.  Which  one  is  the  best  written  ? 

5.  In  which  booklet  does  the  writer  tell  the  story  most 

clearly,  in  pictures,  copy,  and  headlines  ? 

6.  Select  from  the  collection  a  booklet  which  you  think 

you  can  rewrite  in  better  style. 

7.  Suggest  a  new  cover  design,  different  paper,  and  color 

schemes.    . 

8.  Rewrite  this  booklet,  giving  a  new  place  for  illustra- 

tions, layout,  and  headlines,  and  write  the  story  in 
another  way,  using  about  the  same  number  of  words, 
or  changing  the  size  or  style  of  your  layout  to  fit 
your  text. 

Reference.  —  Some  Notes  on   Catalogue  Making,   by 
Samuel  Greydon. 


189 


CHAPTER  XX 
PROGRAM  ADVERTISING 

The  program  is  the  proper  place  for  amusing 
advertising.  Only  the  advertising  writer  with  a 
good  sense  of  humor  should  use  the  theatre 
program  at  all. 

Through  the  program  the  advertiser  reaches 
the  leisure  classes  in  their  moments  of  relaxation, 
and  it  may  be  very  effective  advertising  if 
properly  done. 

But  the  great  glaring  fault  of  nearly  all 
program  advertising,  the  reason  why  it  has  not 
reached  half  its  possibilities  is  that  it  takes  itself 
too  seriously. 

If  you  are  sitting  in  a  theatre  on  the  edge  of 
your  seat  waiting  for  the  curtain  to  go  up  to  find 
out  what  is  going  to  happen  in  a  thrilling  second 
act,  you  will  not  employ  the  interval  in  reading 
a  serious,  finely  printed  article  on  life  insurance. 
You  might,  however,  turn  over  the  pages  of 
your  program  and  glance  at  anything  that  struck 
you  as  unusual. 

Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  most  people  between 
the  acts  of  any  good  show  are  thoroughly  bored. 
If  the  dialogue  in  the  show  is  good,  they  cannot 

190 


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i. 

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rvj 

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2,900  Hours  in  Bed? 

That  is  the  average  time  spent  in  bed  by  the 
average  individual  during  tne  year. 

What  wonder  Better  Built  Beds  make  saner, 
happier  individuals! 

You  owe  yourself  one  of  these  comfortable 
Better  Built  Beds. 

Ail  Bedding  on  sale,  including 
Ottermoor  Mattresses. 

The  Daniels  &  Fisher  Stores  Co. 

191 


ADVERTISE! 


keep  up  a  conversation  that  is  good  enough  by 
comparison.  They  are  keenly,  though  sub- 
consciously aware  of  their  own  short-comings. 
Then  the  air  in  the  theatre  is  generally  heavy, 
the  lights  are  bright,  and  the  whole  atmosphere 
of  the  place  between  the  acts  is  conducive  to 
slumber.  But  —  and  here  is  where  the  adver- 
tiser profits  —  one  must  not  slumber,  one  must 
appear  animated,  charmed  and  delighted,  and 
the  poorer  the  show  is,  the  greater  is  the  boredom 
and  the  more  strenuous  the  effort  to  relieve  it. 
A  large  part  of  the  audience  read  or  glance  at 
the  program. 

Any  advertiser  who  will  go  at  theatre  program 
advertising,  meeting  the  mood  of  his  audience 
with  the  same  sort  of  mood,  will  get  results. 
Any  advertiser  who  will  say  something  startling 
will  be  welcomed.  Any  advertiser  who  will 
cause  a  smile  between  the  acts,  or  furnish  a 
subject  for  conversation,  will  not  only  be  blessed 
but  remembered. 

But,  remember,  program  advertising  must  be 
very  short,  and  written  for  the  casual  glance. 
It  must  be  contented  with  scant  attention,  if  it 
plants  an  indirect  suggestion. 

The  program  is  a  splendid  place  for  the  florist, 
the  hair  dresser,  the  taxicab  or  omnibus  company, 

192 


How  glad  he  wais  he  had 
bought  that  Good  Tie  in 


Daniels  &  Fishefs 
Men's  Shop! 


A  very  Human  Situation  in  this  Program  Advertisement 


193 


ADVERTISE! 


the  dry  goods  store,  the  restaurant,  the  grocer, 
the  confectioner,  the  miUiner,  the  modkte,  and 
others.  We  would  not  advise  it  for  advertising 
an  undertaker,  or  for  a  serious  business  proposi- 
tion which  is  going  to  make  a  man  think.  He 
has  come  to  the  theatre  to  get  away  from  that 
sort  of  thing.  If,  however,  something  humorous 
may  be  inserted  by  any  concern  (burying  the 
undertaker)  it  will  get  results. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Obtain  three  theatre  programs  and  glance  through 

them,  selecting  the  six  advertisements  that  first 
attract  your  attention. 

2.  Rewrite  each  one  of  these  advertisements,  suggesting 

appropriate  illustrations. 

3.  In  your  city,  name  three  business  concerns  which  you 

think  might  profitably  use  theatre   progam    ad- 
vertising. 

4.  Write  a  series  of  six  program  advertisements  for  each 

of  these  concerns,  with  suggestions  as  to  illustra- 
tions. 

5.  Select  six  wordy  program  advertisements  and  rewrite 

the  copy  so  that  each  advertisement  is  limited  to 
ten  words. 

6.  To  what  class  of  people  would  you  appeal  in  program 

advertising  ? 

7.  What  desires  would  you  attempt  to  awaken  in  theatre- 

goers   in    advertising    automobiles,    hair    dressing 
parlors,  restaurants,  department  stores? 
194 


The  Face  that  Fascinates-" 

—  cared  for  by  our  Beauty  Salon,  is  free 
from  hair,  moles  or  other  blemishes.  We 
remove  them  painlessly,  permanently,  po- 
sitively by  multiple  electric  needle.  Only  a 
graduate  operator  will  work  on  your  face. 
Make  an  appointment  now.  Remember 
.you  will  never  have  another  face. 


The  Daniels  &  Fisher  Beauty  Salon 


Ninth  Floor,  Tower 


i 


Subject  Matter  Excellent  for  Program  Advertising 


195 


ADVERTISE! 


8.  What  sort  of  business  could  be  built  by  advertise- 

ments used  in  programs  exclusively  ? 

9.  How  would  you  link  program  advertising  to  a  cam- 

paign for  a  department  store  ? 
10.  Would  you  use  in  program  advertising  the  same  text 
that  you  use  in  advertisements  appearing  for  the 
store  in  other  media?  Would  you  advertise  the 
same  departments  that  you  advertise  elsewhere,  or 
different  departments  ? 


196 


CHAPTER  XXI 

BILL  BOARD  AND   STREET  CAR 
ADVERTISING 

The  bill  board  and  the  street  ear  card  possess 
certain  decided  advantages. 

They  condense  advertising  to  its  briefest, 
hence  its  most  powerful  form. 

They  are  repetitious. 

They  have  color  —  that  all  powerful  attrac- 
tion for  the  eye. 

Almost  without  exception  they  are  cheerful. 

These  two  splendid  means  of  advertising 
should  not  be  used  in  place  of  newspaper  adver- 
tising. They  should  be  used  either  for  entirely 
different  lines,  or  supplementary  to  newspaper 
copy. 

Both  the  bill  board  and  the  street  car  card 
excel  for  suggestive  copy.  For  any  article  that 
must  make  a  name  for  itself  —  a  name  which 
will  be  capital  in  itself  —  there  is  no  better  way 
of  advertising.  They  familiarize  the  public  with 
any  name  in  a  very  short  time. 

To  plant  and  fix  one  name  in  the  mind  of  the 
public,  the  bill  board  and  the  street  car  card, 

197 


ADVERTISE! 


either  separately  or  together  are  without  their 
equals. 

In  all  cases  where  an  inexpensive  article,  with 
good  distribution,  is  to  be  advertised,  either  the 
street  car  or  the  bill  board  is  a  splendid  medium. 
But,  it  must  be  made  clear  how  the  article  may 
be  purchased  —  what  stores  carry  it,  or  if  all 
stores.  The  most  glaring  fault  of  this  sort  of 
advertising  is  that  it  aims  at  sheer  publicity  and 
fails  to  supply  the  connecting  link  that  makes 
the  purchase  the  logical  conclusion. 

A  splendid  example  of  street  car  copy  is  that 
of  the  Omar  Cigarettes.  The  spelling  of  the 
words  with  smoking  cigarettes,  keeping  always 
the  same  number,  was  an  excellent  idea;  also  the 
showing  of  the  tobacco  leaves,  the  coloring,  etc. 
No  detail  was  slighted.  In  a  national  campaign, 
such  as  this,  success  is  to  be  largely  attributed 
to  the  fact  that  the  cards  are  changed  every  few 
days,  and  that  different  cards  are  used  in  differ- 
ent cars,  so  that  riders  get  a  constant  change  of 
good  copy.  This  makes  the  campaign  as  newsy 
as  the  newspaper. 

A  street  car  is  often  the  last  shot  at  the  pur- 
chaser. A  man  on  his  way  down  town  remem- 
bers that  he  is  out  of  cigarettes.  He  sees  the 
Omar  advertisement,  and  asks  for  them  at  the 

198 


BILL    BOARDS    AND    STREET    CARS 

first  drug  store.  This  same  mental  process 
applies  to  any  small,  inexpensive  purchase  which 
does  not  involve  deep  deliberation. 

There  is  probably  no  better  medium  for 
tempting  the  appetite  than  the  street  car  card. 
This  has  been  tested  and  proved  by  some  of  the 
largest  food  advertisers  in  the  world.  Because 
of  its  high  suggestive  possibilities,  it  is  a  splendid 
medium  for  flower  shops,  musical  concerns,  col- 
leges, etc. 

The  more  condensed  the  street  car  copy  is, 
the  more  powerful  is  its  suggestion.  Also,  it  is 
well  to  be  specific.  One  very  pretty  floral  card 
which  read,  "Why  not  send  her  flowers.^  Vio- 
lets, 75c  per  bunch,"  might  far  better  have  read, 
"Why  not  send  her  Violets.^"  and  then  men- 
tioned the  special  in  the  corner.  This  not  only 
cuts  out  words,  but  comes  directly  to  the  point 
and  makes  the  suggestion  more  fragrant  because 
of  the  word  "violets"  instead  of  "flowers." 

(You  don't  smell  "flowers,"  but  who  can 
forget  the  odor  of  "violets.^")  This  little 
illustl-ation  is  just  by  way  of  showing  the 
subtleties  of  street  car  copy. 

Recently  the  department  stores  of  the  country 
have  looked  rather  favorably  upon  the  street 
car  card.     It  lacks  newsiness  for  the  store  as 

199 


ADVERTISE! 


a  whole,  but  undoubtedly  can  do  its  share  in 
building  up  certain  departments  and  adding  to 
the  fundamental  advertising  policy  of  "being 
everywhere  thought  of." 

Both  in  street  cars  and  bill  boards,  the  ad- 
vertiser should  aim  to  dominate.  This  may  be 
done  either  by  space  or  attractiveness  of  copy  — 
the  latter  being  by  far  the  less  expensive  method. 

The  bill  board  may  well  be  considered  the 
brass  band  of  advertising.  It  has  come  in  for 
more  than  its  share  of  criticism,  but  this  may  be 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  bill  boards  have  been 
so  hopelessly  and  unnecessarily  ugly  and  so  dull. 
Sheer  publicity  they  have  provided,  but,  with  a 
few  rare  and  effective  exceptions,  they  have 
lacked  a  real  human  interest. 

The  bill  board  is  best  when  isolated.  One 
bill  board  all  by  itself  is  worth  twenty-five 
members  of  bill  board  groups. 

The  copy,  as  in  the  street  car,  should  be  very 
condensed  and  suggestive,  the  coloring  unique. 
The  bill  board  should  be  changed  as  frequently 
as  once  a  month.  In  political  campaigns,  it 
may  be  changed  as  often  as  a  paper  goes  to 
press,  if  necessary. 

Of  course,  a  difference  in  the  character  of 
handling  either  street  car  or  bill  board  advertis- 

200 


BILL    BOARDS    AND    STREET    CARS 

ing,  must  be  made,  depending  upon  whether 
these  are  the  sole  means  or  the  supplementary 
means  of  advertising. 

In  foreign  countries  many  of  the  bill  boards 
are  real  works  of  art.  There  has  been  a  marked 
improvement  at  home  of  recent  years,  and  the 
time  will  soon  come  when  the  bill  board,  with 
its  cousin,  the  electric  sign,  will  win  its  way  into 
public  favor  and  increase  its  advertising  force  to 
the  A^th  degree. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Name  half  a  dozen  bill  boards  and  half  a  dozen  street 

ear  cards  that  impress  you  as  good  advertise- 
ments. 

2.  Write  six  street  car  cards  for  a  flower  shop,  limiting 

your  copy  to  not  more  than  15  words  and  preferably 
less. 

3.  Note  the  best  display  of  the  name  of  the  manufacturer 

on  the  street  car  cards  in  present  use  in  your  city. 
At  what  point  on  the  card  does  the  name  appear  .^^ 

4.  Obtain  a  collection  of  street  car  cards  from  the  office  of 

the  Street  Car  Advertising  Company  in  your  city, 
and  re-write  the  text  for  each  card,  suggesting  new 
illustrations,  layouts,  and  color  schemes. 

5.  Write  six  striking  bill  board  advertisements  for  the 

leading  automobile  concern  of  your  city,  with  special 
reference  to  the  chapter  on  "Local  Color."     Suggest 
color  schemes,  illustrations  and  layouts. 
201 


ADVERTISE! 


6.  Visit  your  local  bill  posting  concern  and  carefully  note 

the  processes  by  which  posters  are  constructed. 

7.  Plan  a  campaign  of  bill  posting  and  street  car  adver- 

tising to  cover  your  own  city,  introducing  a  new 
cereal. 

8.  Figure  the  cost  of  this  campaign,  including  the  printing, 

getting  your  figures  from  the  bill  posting  and  street 
car  advertising  concerns  and  from  your  printer. 

9.  Write  the  copy  for  the  above  campaign,  originating  a 

taking  new  name  for  your  product,  planning  the 
illustrations,  copy,  and  color  schemes. 

Reference. — See  Poster  Advertising,  by  G.  H.  E.  Hawkins. 


202 


CHAPTER  XXII 

SYSTEMATIZING  AN  ADVERTISING 
OFFICE 

In  order  to  catch  the  fleeting  returns  by  the 
coat-tails,  the  wise  advertising  manager  will  get 
everything  possible  in  black  and  white. 

To  avoid  endless  confusion  he  will  keep  a 
definite  check  on  everything  to  spare  himself 
the  unnecessary  humiliation  of  being  called  a 
liar  or  playing  the  part  of  an  easy  mark.  He 
will  insist  that  all  promises  or  requests  made  by 
him  or  to  him  concerning  advertising,  or  other 
detail  of  his  department,  be  made  in  writing. 

To  lay  down  an  arbitrary  rule  concerning  the 
systematizing  of  any  ofiice  would  be  a  waste  of 
time.  Systematizing  is  an  art  in  itself,  and  the 
system  that  may  be  worked  out  in  one  oflfice 
might  be  a  complete  failure  in  another. 

Some  people  —  there  may  be  successful  ad- 
vertising writers  among  them  —  have  no  gift 
for  system,  and  it  would  certainly  pay  them  .to 
employ  experts  and  to  adopt  useful  suggestions 
for  simplifying  the  details  of  their  work.  So 
many  papers  and  so  much  really  useful  inf orma- 

20S 


ADVERTISE! 


tion  of  all  sorts  may  be  kept  by  the  advertising 
writer  in  a  get-at-able  way  that  he  suffers  a  real 
loss  of  actual  time  and  money  if  he  fails  to  make 
use  of  this  greatest  of  aids  to  efficiency. 

There  are  a  few  practical  suggestions,  however, 
which  may  be  of  assistance  to  the  advertising 
writer. 

First  of  all  comes  the  indispensable  loose-leaf 
filing  system.  This  may  be  used  either  by 
letters  or  numbers,  with  a  little  cross-indexed 
card  file,  which  may  be  conveniently  placed  on 
the  top.  It  is  easy  to  collect  all  sorts  of  informa- 
tion, from  clippings  to  literary  references,  from 
the  cost  of  making  electros  to  the  latest  war  map, 
or  the  newest  type  of  folder,  or  a  good  story,  or 
piece  of  information  that  would  work  into  the 
advertising.  With  one  or  more  such  files,  and  a 
good  cut  cabinet,  the  desks  may  be  kept  like 
men-of-war  cleared  for  action. 

If  there  are  many  people  with  whom  the 
advertising  writer  has  to  deal,  it  is  well  to  have 
a  folder  for  each  one  of  these  people,  and  all 
correspondence  or  work  referring  to  that  in- 
dividual should  go  in  his  own  folder,  which  has 
either  a  letter  or  number  in  the  cross-index  file. 
Correspondence,  of  course,  occupies  separate 
files  and  is  kept  in  the  usual  way, 

^04 


SYSTEMATIZING    AN   OFFICE 

Advertisements  are  far  more  conveniently 
kept  and  handled  in  dated  loose-leaf  files  than  in 
clumsy  scrap  books,  and  in  every  way  the  loose- 
leaf  system  will  be  found  more  sanitary,  elastic, 
and  easily  handled. 

No  advertising  should  be  sent  for  publication 
without  a  definite  order.  This  order  should 
state  the  name  of  the  concern  ordering  the 
advertisement,  in  clear  type  at  the  head,  the 
name  of  the  publication,  the  date  of  publication, 
the  number  of  cuts  to  be  used,  the  space  to  be 
occupied,  the  border  rule  and  margins  to  be 
used,  the  position  (if  any  definite  position  has 
been  promised),  and  the  price  to  be  paid  for  the 
advertisement.  Any  form  desirable  may  be 
arranged,  but  all  this  information  should  be 
specified.  Keep  a  copy  of  this  order.  It  is  the 
only  definite  check  you  have  upon  the  adver- 
tising you  place.  All  orders  should  be  numbered 
and  you  will  find  it  better  to  have  the  order  that 
goes  to  the  publication  and  the  order  you  retain 
a  different  color. 

You  know  that  the  business  oflBce  of  a  news- 
paper or  magazine  is  a  very  busy  place.  There 
are  so  many  orders,  and  such  unlimited  oppor- 
tunities for  things  to  be  misunderstood,  that 
your  best  protection  and  your  only  real  protec- 

<^05 


ADVERTISE! 


tion  is  in  making  things  very  plain.  Consider, 
for  example,  the  advertising  of  a  great  political 
campaign,  when  no  check  is  kept.  An  un- 
scrupulous publication  may,  and  often  has, 
inserted  advertising  without  any  order,  verbal 
or  otherwise,  and  collected  payment.  This  is 
blamed  on  the  advertising  writer,  and  he  de- 
serves it  too,  for  it  is  a  necessary  part  of  his 
business  to  keep  a  check  on  what  he  is  doing. 
However  unnecessary  this  matter  of  having 
your  copy  accompanied  by  an  order  may  seem, 
the  day  is  sure  to  come  when  you  will  be  thank- 
ful that  you  have  observed  the  precaution. 

When  a  large,  temporary  campaign,  such  as 
political  work,  is  being  conducted,  it  is  well  that 
every  order  should  have  an  original  and  two 
copies  (all  three  in  different  colors).  One  goes 
to  the  publication,  one  is  kept  by  the  advertising 
man,  and  one  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
treasurer  or  general  manager. 

It  is  but  natural  that  in  case  of  a  business 
dispute,  your  opponent,  who  may  be  a  publisher, 
buyer,  or  correspondent,  should  protect  himself. 
Then  why  should  not  you  forestall  the  evil  day 
with  written  orders,  and  make  it  known  that 
you  never  make  the  slightest  promise  except  in 
writing  ? 

206 


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ADVERTISE! 


Where  copy  of  various  descriptions  is  sent  into 
your  office,  it  is  well  to  have  some  definite 
receptacle,  such  as  a  wire  basket,  for  instance, 
hung  in  some  conspicuous  place,  in  which  all 
copy  must  be  placed. 

In  department  stores,  a  system  of  requisitions 
may  be  very  nicely  worked  out  and  will  save  end- 
less friction.  Have  these  requisitions  in  differ- 
ent colors,  so  that  you  can  see  at  a  glance  what 
the  request  is  for:  advertisement,  window,  sign 
card,  booth,  or  what-not.  These  requisitions 
should  state  at  the  top  what  the  request  is  for 
and  at  what  date  it  should  be  sent  to  your  office. 

In  the  case  of  copy,  the  dates  upon  which  requi- 
sitions must  be  sent  in  for  the  different  days' 
advertising  should  all  be  stipulated  clearly.  Each 
should  be  signed  by  the  person  sending  it  in,  and 
should  state  very  definitely  the  time  when  the 
advertisement,  window  or  other  object  is  wanted. 

A  tag  notice  for  sales  may  be  made  out,  to 
send  in  two  weeks  or  more  in  advance  of  the  sale, 
so  that  you  may  visit  the  department.  This 
system  commits  the  person  writing  the  request 
definitely  to  what  is  wanted  and  keeps  you  in 
close  touch  with  all  the  people  with  whom  you 
are  working. 

On  your  part,  you  should  reply  to  these 
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requests  with  other  sHps  giving  answers.  Here 
again  you  employ  a  color  system  so  that  the  slips 
from  the  advertising  office  to  the  buyer  are  as 
quickly  distinguished  by  him  as  his  are  by  you. 
For  example,  in  a  system  that  has  stood  the 
active  test  of  successful  use,  all  requests  for 
advertising  are  made  on  long  yellow  paper; 
requests  for  booth  dates  are  on  short  orange 
slips;  sale  notices  on  bright  red;  window  re- 
quests on  pale  blue;  booth  notices  on  rose  pink; 
window  card  requests  on  pale  pink;  etc.  In 
replying  to  these,  window  notices  are  sent  on 
light  green;  booth  dates  on  long  red  slips;  etc. 
All  slips  are  placed  in  folders  in  the  advertising 
office.  The  slips  go  in  the  folder  of  the  person 
making  the  request  and  bear  the  statement  as  to 
whether  or  not  the  request  was  granted. 

There  are  several  other  systems  which  may  be 
useful,  such  as  keeping  a  loose-leaf  card  ffie  of  all 
the  competitive  sales,  or  other  advertising,  done 
during  the  various  months  of  the  year.  This  will 
enable  you  to  anticipate  competitors  in  making 
up  your  plans.  You  may  utilize  these  card  ffies, 
likewise,  for  any  other  information  which  you 
use  month  after  month  and  year  after  year. 
Having  this  information  at  your  fingers'  ends 
will  save  hours  of  scattered  energy. 

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An  excellent  way  to  prevent  the  loss  of  cuts 
is  to  pull  a  proof  of  the  cut  on  9^  x  11  manila 
cards.  These  will  fit  into  your  file  drawers,  or 
may  be  kept  in  piles  on  a  cupboard  shelf.  When- 
ever a  cut  goes  out  of  your  office,  note  on  the 
card  the  date  and  the  name  of  the  concern 
having  the  cut.  When  it  is  returned,  note  date 
in  ink  of  another  color.  This  makes  a  complete 
record  of  your  cuts. 

Various  cards  for  keeping  track  of  sales  made 
through  advertising  may  be  worked  out,  but 
these  must  fit  the  individual  case.  The  same 
is  true  of  cost-per-reply  advertising  cards. 

Where  direct  advertising  is  used,  lists  of 
names  are  best  kept  in  card  files,  and  in  making 
these  lists  color  schemes  may  be  employed  to 
denote  whether  people  are  married  or  single, 
young  or  old,  professional,  etc.,  according  to  the 
divisions  required.  Keeping  up  a  good  active 
mailing  list  is  sure  to  assist  in  any  advertising 
campaign.  The  various  cards  may  tell  what 
advertising  has  been  sent,  when,  and  what 
return  has  been  realized. 

Any  short  cuts  that  save  time  or  relieve  you 
of  detail  are  certain  to  assist  in  your  advertising 
work,  and  once  you  have  grasped  the  idea,  you 
will  accept  the  help.     But  remember,  too  much 

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red  tape  is  worse,  if  anything,  than  no  system 
at  all.  To  be  good,  your  system  must  be  one 
that  you  are  willing  to  stick  to.  It  must  be 
followed  implicitly,  and  not  once  in  a  while. 
Plan  your  system  to  suit  your  own  individual 
case,  and  then  work  your  plan  for  all  there  is  in  it. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Visit  some  concern  that  sells  office  furniture  and  note 

briefly  what  pieces  you  would  want  to  furnish  an 
advertising  office.  (This  is  important  as  you  may 
some  day  be  called  upon  to  select  your  equipment 
at  short  notice.) 

2.  What  sort  of  information  would  you  collect  for  your 

advertising  files  ^  List  a  few  of  the  subjects  under 
which  you  believe  you  might  file  interesting  and 
valuable  information. 

3.  If  you  have  a  desk  of  your  own,  plan  a  place  for  every- 

thing now  on  or  in  your  desk,  so  that  the  only  thing 
on  it  will  be  the  work  which  concerns  your  immediate 
attention. 

4.  Visit  some  office  and  note  six  suggestions  for  saving 

time  and  labor  through  system. 

5.  As  advertising  manager  of  some  large  concern,  how 

would  you  arrange  your  time  in  order  to  save  time 
in  which  to  be  alone  and  plan  your  work  ^ 

6.  How  would  you  keep  track  of  your  business  engage- 

ments from  day  to  day  ? 

7.  Name  six  things  which  you  now  trust  to  your  memory 

which  might  be  better  trusted  to  memoranda. 
214 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
CUTS  IN  THE  MAKING 

Cuts  are  the  most  definite  piece  of  merchan- 
dise that  the  advertising  expert  has  to  sell. 

Ideas  are  intangible.  A  piece  of  typewritten 
copy  may  look  valueless  —  yes,  even  the  best  of 
copy.  Even  a  drawing  is  handicapped  by  its 
bulkless,  flat  appearance. 

But  a  cut  is  a  real,  definite  piece  of  workman- 
ship —  as  much  as  a  clock,  or  a  bicycle,  or  any 
other  article  of  merchandise.  This  is  probably 
why  there  are  so  many  thriving  Cut  Services. 
It  is  instinctive  for  the  merchant  to  appreciate 
the  thing  that  has  weight  and  bulk. 

Any  one  who  will  take  trouble  to  step  into  a 
big  engraving  plant  will  get  a  far  better  con- 
ception of  the  work  of  the  advertising  expert 
when  he  sees  ideas  taking  form  under  the  skilled 
fingers  of  the  mechanic. 

Many  of  the  advertising  fraternity  themselves 
would  get  a  far  better  understanding  of  their 
own  work  and  its  details  were  they  to  spend 
more  time  in  the  engraving  departments  —  or 
as  they  might  be  termed,  laboratories.     It  is 

215 


ADVERTISE! 


hard  to  imagine  the  amount  of  chemical  knowl- 
edge necessary  to  produce  a  cut. 

With  any  drawing  or  photograph  the  first 
thing  to  determine  is  what  size  it  shall  be  made. 
Usually  drawings  are  made  for  half  reductions. 
Sometimes  they  may  be  reduced  to  one-third, 
or  one-fourth,  but  seldom  less  than  a  fourth. 

The  best  way  to  tell  how  Veil  a  drawing  will 
reduce  is  to  look  at  it  through  a  reducing  glass. 
Engravers  have  these  glasses,  which  may  also 
be  obtained  from  any  optician.  In  the  case  of 
an  enlargement,  you  must  consider  the  blemishes 
and  whether  you  are  going  to  lose  the  fine  points 
of  your  detail.  But  the  majority  of  cases  with 
which  you  are  to  deal  are  reductions. 

When  you  have  considered  your  space  and 
how  much  of  it  you  are  to  devote  to  your  cut, 
then  make  up  your  mind  as  to  the  reduction 
and  mark  on  your  drawing  or  photograph, 
"Reduce  to  2  cols,  wide"  —  or  whatever  the 
width  of  the  reduction  may  be. 

Should  you  wish  to  determine  what  the  exact 
size  of  your  cut  will  be  when  complete,  point  off 
your  width  at  the  bottom  of  your  drawing  from 
right  to  left.  Draw  a  perpendicular  line  at  the 
left  hand  extremity  of  your  measurement. 
Then  draw  a  diagonal  line  from  the  left  hand 

216 


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To  Mark  Drawing  for  Reduction 

Hold  drawing  to  the  light  and  sketch  its  out-lines  on  the  back.  Draw  a  diagonal 
line  from  the  right-hand  lower  corner  to  the  upper  left-hand  corner.  From  the  right- 
band  lower  corner  measure  the  desired  width  on  the  bottom  line.  Draw  a  perpen- 
dicular line  from  the  left-hand  extremity  of  the  new  measurement.  The  point  at 
which  this  perpendicular  line  intersects  the  diagonal  line  is  the  height  of  the  pro- 
posed reduction 


217 


ADVERTISE! 


corner  through  the  drawing.  At  the  point 
where  it  intersects  with  the  perpendicular  Hne 
you  will  have  the  height  of  your  cut.  This  gives 
you  the  exact  measurements  and  is  very  useful 
while  the  cuts  are  still  at  the  engravers  and  you 
are  laying  out  advertising.     (See  illustration.) 

While  outside  of  a  book  devoted  exclusively 
to  that  subject,  it  is  impossible  to  explain  in 
detail  the  work  of  the  engraving  plant,  a  general 
idea  of  the  different  styles  of  cuts  will  be  of 
interest  and  value. 

The  zinc  cut  is  the  simplest  and  least  expen- 
sive sort.  This  is  made  from  pen  and  ink  draw- 
ings and  is  particularly  effective  in  newspaper 
work,  or  wherever  there  is  need  of  sharp  con- 
trast and  simple  lines.  It  may  be  used  in  several 
colors  when  these  colors  are  flat  poster  effects. 
The  color  work  in  flat  tones  is  also  less  expensive 
and  takes  less  time  to  print  than  other  color 
work. 

In  making  a  zinc,  the  drawing  is  photographed 
on  the  sensitized  zinc.  This  is  then  rolled  in 
ink,  and  topped  with  dragon's  blood  powder, 
which  ''cleaves"  or  backs  up  about  the  edges  of 
the  inked  impression  of  the  drawing.  The  zinc 
is  then  given  an  acid  bath,  the  acid  eating  away 
the  metal  save  about  the  edges  of  the  drawing. 

218 


CUTS    IN    THE    MAKING 


The  zinc  is  then  baked,  powdered,  and  bathed 
until  it  is  eaten  to  a  sufficient  depth.  When 
it  is  finally  completed,  it  is  routed  out  on  a 
routing  machine.  This  completed  cut  is  not 
usually  mounted  for  a  newspaper.  Newspapers 
use  "floats."  For  other  presses,  the  cuts  are 
mounted  on  wooden  blocks.  Write  "mounted" 
if  you  wish  your  cut  mounted,  otherwise  it  will 
be  made  a  "float." 

A  photograph  or  wash  drawing  calls  for  a  half- 
tone. The  half-tone  is  a  piece  of  work  as  deli- 
cate as  the  mechanism  of  a  watch,  and  its  pro- 
duction may  well  be  compared  to  the  most 
delicate  work  done  by  the  jeweler.  At  the  same 
time  the  making  of  a  half-tone  requires  photo- 
graphic and  chemical  knowledge.  The  photo- 
graph for  a  half-tone  is  taken  through  a  screen. 
This  screen  is  a  glass  ruled  with  a  diamond  into 
a  great  number  of  fine  lines.  The  glass  is  ruled 
diagonally  and  is  cut  in  the  middle  and  placed 
together  to  make  perfect  little  square  spaces 
which  show  up  through  a  magnifying  glass  as 
very  fine  dots.  The  cameras  are  very  delicately 
adjusted  to  bring  out  the  high  lights  in  fine 
half-tone  productions. 

The  size  of  the  ruling  of  the  screen  determines 
the  fineness  or  coarseness  of  the  half-tone.     The 

219 


ADVERTISE! 


proper  screen  for  the  cut  depends  upon  the 
quahty  of  the  paper  on  which  it  is  to  be  used. 
Newspapers  use  very  coarse  screen  cuts  —  a  40- 
or  50-hne  half-tone  (meaning  a  half-tone  taken 
through  a  screen  ruled  with  40  or  50  lines  to  an 
inch).  Other  screens  used  are:  60,  65,  80,  85, 
100,  120,  133,  150,  175.  (There  are  other 
screens,  but  these  are  the  most  popular.) 

Many  magazines,  such  as  the  Ladies  Home 
Journal,  etc.,  use  a  133  screen.  This  is  the 
screen  used  popularly  on  glazed  paper,  on  which 
much  of  the  advertising  is  printed.  But  here 
again  the  screen  to  be  used  depends  upon  the 
grade  of  enamel  or  coated  paper  which  you  are 
to  use. 

It  is  very  important  that  you  should  consult 
the  engraver  freely  and  tell  him  for  just  what 
purpose  you  are  going  to  use  the  cut.  Half- 
tones are  never  used  on  rough  papers  except  in 
offset  printing  or  rotary  photogravure. 

In  making  colored  illustrations  the  usual 
screen  used  is  150  lines.  These  colored  illus- 
trations are  made  in  a  series  of  half-tones  which 
are  printed  one  over  the  other  —  in  process  work. 
Usually  four  plates  are  used,  but  often  as  many 
as  nine  or  more  are  required  for  very  fine  work. 
Good  eflFects  may  be  obtained  with  three  colors. 


CUTS   IN    THE    MAKING 


After  making  a  key  plate  the  engraver  works 
from  this,  the  three  primary  colors  used  being 
yellow  first,  then  red,  and  last  blue.  The  fourth 
plate  is  black. 

Lithography  and  photo-lithography  (processes 
of  engraving  on  stone,  zinc,  and  aluminum)  are 
used  in  the  production  of  letterheads  and  posters, 
etc.  For  fineness  of  detail  in  this  class  of  work 
they  are  unexcelled. 

In  considering  the  amount  of  work  which  goes 
into  the  making  of  good  cuts  and  the  expert 
knowledge  that  is  required  of  the  skilled  work- 
men, the  cost  of  their  production  is  compara- 
tively small. 


Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Visit  an  engraving  plant  and  write  an  account  of  the 

information  which  you  obtain.  Do  not  attempt  to 
make  your  account  "Uterary,"  but  give  every  fact 
as  you  observed  it  in  such  a  way  that  another 
advertising  writer  might  base  advertisements  upon 
your  information. 

2.  For  what  purpose  would  you  use  a  zinc  cut  ? 

3.  For  what  purpose  would  you  use  a  half-tone  cut  ? 

4.  Take  three  drawings  and  mark  as  directed,  for  reduc- 

tions as  follows:  \  reduction,  \  reduction,  2  inches 
wide. 

5.  How  high  will  your  completed  cuts  be  ? 

221 


ADVERTISE! 


6.  Obtain   from  your   printer   samples   of   paper   which 

will  reproduce  150-line  half-tone  cuts,  133-line  half- 
tones, 120-line  half-tones,  85-line  half-tones.  Note 
the  varied  texture  of  this  paper. 

7.  When  would  you  order  your  cuts  "  mounted  ?  '* 

8.  In  reducing  cuts  for  a  booklet  would  you  make  them 

uniform  in  width,  if  possible  ? 


222 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

"PUTTING  IT  OVER''  IN   THE 
MAGAZINES 

If  it  were  definitely  known  of  a  certain  man 
that  he  read  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  every 
week,  it  would  be  comparatively  easy  to  tell  a 
great  many  things  about  his  intimate  life. 

Such  a  man  would  be  personally  very  clean. 
He  would  use  Ivory  soap  in  his  bath,  Pears' 
soap  for  his  toilet,  and  Williams'  soap  to  shave 
with.  His  skin  would  be  delicately  fragrant 
from  talcum  powder.  He  would  undoubtedly 
at  one  period  or  another  have  used  Pompeiian 
massage  cream.  His  teeth  would  be  in  a 
remarkable  state  of  preservation  because  of  his 
large  collection  of  tooth  brushes  and  their 
regular  and  scientific  use.  He  would  also  have 
the  best  tooth  preparations  on  the  market  — 
pastes  and  powders  by  turns.  He  would  shave 
with  a  Gillette  safety  razor.  This  Saturday 
Evening  Post  reader  would  begin  his  morning  by 
eating  Cream  of  Wheat  breakfast  food.  He 
would  specify  Campbell  soup  on  his  menu.  If 
he  was  not  a  smoker,  he  would  be  an  inflexible  — 
almost  an  impossible  man.     But  the  chances 

223 


ADVERTISE! 


are  that  with  a  decent  disposition  this  man  would 
be  a  smoker.  He  would  chew  Spearmint  gum. 
One  of  the  chief  ambitions  of  this  man's  life 
would  be  to  own  the  finest  automobile  in  the 
world  with  all  its  accessories. 

If  there  is  any  doubt  in  your  mind  that  this  is 
a  true  picture  of  a  Saturday  Evening  Post  reader, 
meet  one  and  find  out.  A  man  is  the  product 
of  suggestion,  direct  and  indirect,  and  so  clever 
are  the  suggestions  of  the  advertisements  of  a 
magazine,  that  that  magazine  comes  to  play  an 
important  part  in  the  life  of  its  readers. 

If  high  cost  is  an  indication  of  high  class,  the 
very  best  advertising  in  the  world  is  run  in  the 
magazines.  There  should  be  about  the  same 
distinction  between  newspaper  advertising  and 
magazine  advertising  that  there  is  between 
newspaper  writing  and  magazine  writing;  the 
magazine  advertisement  should  be  a  more 
polished  piece  of  work  in  every  respect.  It 
comes  before  an  audience  that  has  time  to  give 
it  a  more  leisurely  consideration. 

Further  than  this,  magazine  advertising  is  the 
fringe  of  high  class  writing,  and  as  such  receives 
the  consideration  of  the  readers  of  H.  G.  Wells, 
Robert  W.  Chambers,  and  their  ilk.  The  mag- 
azine is  retained  longer  than  the  newspaper.    It 

224 


IN    THE    MAGAZINES 


is  read  in  a  more  painstaking  way.  It  makes 
up  in  permanence  what  it  loses  in  news 
value. 

Distinctly  a  class  proposition,  the  first  prob- 
lem is  the  proper  placing  of  magazine  advertis- 
ing. Which  magazine  or  magazines  will  appeal 
to  your  particular  prospective  purchasers.^  If 
you  were  advertising  an  automobile,  you  might 
pick  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  with  its  tre- 
mendous circulation.  If  you  were  to  advertise 
books,  you  would  probably  choose  such  a 
magazine  as  Current  Opinion,  A  mail  order 
proposition  might  suggest  to  you  Vogue  or 
Vanity  Fair.  You  might  have  an  article  such 
as  a  typewriter,  an  electric  reading  lamp,  or  a 
breakfast  food,  when  you  might  use  all  these 
magazines  in  combination. 

Before  you  write  your  copy  the  first  question 
to  decide  is  whether  or  not  you  are  going  to 
specify  position.  The  position  places  are  the 
back  cover,  the  inside  of  the  front  and  back 
cover,  and  the  advertisements  before  the  reading 
matter  and  after  the  reading  matter.  The  back 
cover  has  the  highest  attention  value  and  the 
inside  of  the  covers  the  next,  and  so  on.  Extra 
charge  is  made  for  these  positions.  The  prac- 
tice of  running  the  advertisements  of  reading 

225 


ADVERTISE! 


matter,  which  many  magazines  are  now  follow- 
ing, is  of  great  value  to  the  advertiser. 

In  making  your  layout,  marking  the  type, 
etc.,  the  same  rules  apply  which  hold  good  in 
newspaper  advertising.  Sometimes  the  column 
widths  of  the  magazines  vary,  but  these  should 
be  measured,  or  measurements  on  the  rate  cards 
noted. 

The  paper  on  which  a  magazine  is  printed  is 
so  much  betteV  than  that  of  the  newspaper  that 
better  cuts  may  be  used  with  telling  effect,  while 
the  fact  that  the  magazine  is  read  in  a  more 
leisurely  manner  permits  the  use  of  illustrations 
of  a  more  detailed  character. 

But  in  exact  ratio  as  the  cost  of  the  space  goes 
up,  so  should  the  character  of  the  copy  go  up. 
Not  only  is  the  space  more  costly,  but  you  are 
competing  for  attention  with  the  best  writers  of 
the  present  day,  as  known  to  the  magazine 
editors  and  the  reading  public.  The  manu- 
facturer who  exploits  his  product  in  the  magazine 
should  be  willing  to  pay  the  top  price  for  the  highest 
grade  of  expert  advertising  advice  and  service  that 
the  country  affords.  He  should  steer  clear  of  all 
commonplace  advertising.  His  copy  should  be 
not  only  convincing,  it  should  also  be  fairly 
hypnotic. 

S26 


IN    THE    MAGAZINES 


Magazine  copy  should  not  be  a  combination  of 
several  mens  half-baked  ideas;  it  should  be  the 
result  of  one  mans  knowledge  of  his  subject,  and 
gripping,  compelling  power  as  an  advertising 
writer. 

In  many  instances  magazine  advertisements 
sacrifice  strength  to  artistic  effect.  This  comes 
about  primarily  from  the  fact  that  the  copy  and 
the  illustration  are  not  linked  together  closely 
enough.  It  may  be  because  the  copy  is  pre- 
pared in  some  agency  where  the  copy-writer  and 
the  artist  are  both  working  out  a  third  person's 
idea,  or  that  the  copy  has  been  written  to  fit  the 
illustration,  or  that  there  is  the  blending  of 
several  half-baked  ideas  as  previously  men- 
tioned. But  the  result  leaves  the  reader  guess- 
ing as  to  whether  the  advertisement  is  written 
for  embroidery  or  chocolates.  Then  there  is  a 
lack  of  the  "red-blooded  punch"  in  much  of  the 
advertising,  which  again  suggests  that  too  many 
people  have  gone  over  the  copy  and  killed  the 
idea.  But  chief  of  all  is  the  fact  that  suggestion 
—  that  great  dynamic  force  of  all  good  copy  — ■ 
is  not  used  in  its  most  powerful  form  —  the 
indirect  suggestion. 

Wherever  indirect  suggestion  is  employed,  you 
have  masterpieces  of  advertising  copy  that  stand 

227 


ADVERTISE! 


the  test  of  time.  Two  classics  that  run  year  in 
and  year  out  and  will  never  be  surpassed  for 
their  products  are: 

"Good  morning,  have  you  used  Pears'  Soap?" 
and  that  wonderful  piece  of  human-interest 
copy,  "His  Master's  Voice."  In  the  Victrola 
advertisement  is  that  remarkably  skillful  linking 
of  the  idea  and  the  illustration.  Both  say  the 
same  thing  —  and  both  say  it  so  that  it  goes 
straight  home  to  the  reader  at  the  very  first 
glance. 

Peculiarly  happy  in  their  choice  of  advertising 
writers  have  been  the  great  tobacco  concerns. 
No  finer  example  of  advertising  skill  appears  in 
the  magazines  than  the  advertisements  for 
Velvet  Tobacco,  Prince  Albert,  Fatima,  Omar, 
and  the  rest.  These  advertisements  are  com- 
pelling, usually  full  of  suggestion,  appealing  in 
illustration,  tempting  to  the  last  degree,  and  in 
every  way  perfect  pieces  of  workmanship. 

The  soap  advertisements  have  always,  like 
Ivory,  floated  on  top  of  the  advertising  wave. 
Little  Fairy  is  as  dainty  and  delicious  in  copy  as 
in  illustration;  and  good  old  scrubby  Sapolio 
has  always  been  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  leading 
advertisers. 

The  tooth-brush  advertisements,  while  smaller, 
228 


IN    THE    MAGAZINES 


are  remarkable  for  their  clear,  fine  copy  of  a 
serious,  straight-from-the-shoulder  type.  These 
advertisements  are  educational,  too,  and  have, 
without  a  doubt,  actually  improved  the  teeth 
of  magazine  readers.  An  adroit  piece  of  copy 
was  used  by  one  of  the  tooth  paste  advertisers 
in  the  wording,  "  Consult  your  dentist  regularly 

and  use ."     The  dentists  themselves  are 

now  doing  more  to  explain  to  patients  the  proper 
means  of  cleaning  the  teeth  and  the  proper 
brushes  to  use,  and  emphasizing  the  fact  that 
"a  clean  tooth  never  decays."  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  they  have  been  influenced  by  the 
advertising  campaigns  for  clean  teeth. 

Another  advertising  campaign  that  has  been 
run  in  comparatively  small  space,  but  very 
effectively,  is  for  rubber  heels.  The  rubber  heel 
advertisers  use  gripping  copy  in  which  the 
suggestion  is  usually  rather  clever.  The  very 
name  "Cat's  Paw,"  suggests  a  soft,  velvety 
tread,  and  more  than  this  —  for  it  implies  all 
the  grace  of  carriage  so  characteristic  of  the  cat. 

Among  other  extremely  interesting  magazine 
advertisements,  from  a  psychological  point  of 
view,  are  those  for  the  large  public  service 
corporations.  The  Telephone  Company  has 
been  steadily  making  friends  with  the  public 


ADVERTISE! 


through  advertising.  Rather  more  recent  are 
the  advertisements  of  the  Pullman  Company. 
This  advertising  does  more  than  create  a  friendly 
feeling  in  the  minds  of  the  public.  It  has  a 
tendency  actually  to  bring  about  better  service, 
and  more  considerate  treatment  throughout,  for 
these  corporations  begin  to  think  out  better 
service  from  the  time  that  they  begin  to  speak 
to  the  public.  The  time  will  soon  come  when 
more  of  them  will  come  into  print.  With  the 
right  kind  of  advertising  and  plenty  of  it  there 
will  come  a  far  better  understanding  between 
capital  and  labor. 

Anyone  who  has  glanced  through  the  adver- 
tising in  magazines  appealing  to  the  more 
studious  readers  is  sure  to  be  impressed  by  the 
remarkably  clever  advertising  that  is  done  for 
books.  A  large  proportion  of  the  advertisements 
are  far  better  than  the  books.  They  beckon 
with  the  promise  of  wild  tales  of  adventure,  with 
knowledge  as  condensed  as  a  food  tablet,  with 
striking  instances  of  daring  deeds,  and  fascinat- 
ing editions  by  famous  authors.  One  can  gain 
a  very  fair  smattering  of  good  literature,  and 
keep  well  posted  on  the  gist  of  many  of  the  books, 
by  merely  reading  the  advertisements.  Most 
of    these    book    advertisers    are    exceptionally 

230 


IN    THE    MAGAZINES 


clever  students  of  the  science  of  advertising. 
Occasionally,  however,  one  does  run  across  an 
advertisement  for  books  that  reads  like  a  patent 
medicine  advertisement. 

Every  magazine  has  its  own  particular  class 
of  readers.  Probably  the  Saturday  Evening  Post 
is  the  best  "mixer,"  and  even  it  has  a  pretty 
definite  following.  It  pays  to  study  these 
readers  and  to  have  a  fairly  accurate  composite 
picture  of  the  sort  of  person  addressed  before 
the  magazine  copy  is  written.  For  example, 
one  would  hardly  write  an  advertisement  to 
women  in  Popular  Mechanics,  nor  should  one 
write  to  men  in  Good  Housekeeping,  This  seems 
a  self-evident  statement,  and  yet  from  time  to 
time  there  appear  advertisements  in  Good  House- 
keeping addressed  to  women  in  decidedly  mascu- 
line language.  An  advertisement  that  talks  of 
bringing  "the  consumer  and  the  dealer  closer 
together"  is  not  worded  in  such  a  way  as  to 
bring  home  the  thought  of  reducing  the  grocer 
bill  to  the  average  woman,  nor  does  it  tempt  her, 
as  would  a  suggestive  food  advertisement, 
worded  for  women.  Advertisements  that  de- 
scribe the  construction  of  an  article  are  not  so 
good  for  women  as  those  that  tell  what  are  the 
results    of    the    construction.     Faults    in    such 

231 


ADVERTISE! 


advertisements  are  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact 
that  a  great  many  men  who  write  advertising 
do  not  quite  grasp  the  psychology  of  women. 

The  layout  of  most  magazine  advertising  is 
strikingly  good.  The  paper  on  which  maga- 
zines are  printed  permits  the  use  of  half-tones 
and  wash  drawings,  and  most  advertisers  not 
only  spend  more  money  on  the  art  work,  but 
use  a  more  detailed  style.  The  great  objection 
is  that  in  too  many  instances  the  copy  is  written 
for  the  drawing  —  and  there  is  a  lack  of  co- 
ordination —  also  a  lack  of  idea  in  the  illustra- 
tion itself,  which  seems  to  be  used  because  it  is 
pretty  rather  than  because  it  is  strong. 

In  its  last  analysis  the  difference  between 
magazine  advertising  and  other  forms  of  adver- 
tising is  entirely  superficial.  One  may  have 
better  paper,  better  art  work,  better  layout  — 
but  the  main,  gripping,  vital  thing  is  the  "  punch  " 
in  the  copy.  Not  every  magazine  advertiser 
really,  honestly,  and  convincingly  "puts  it 
over"  in  the  magazines.  It  is  pretty  safe  to 
say,  too,  that  the  strong,  effective  masterpieces 
of  magazine  advertising  were  the  work  of  one 
advertising  expert  and  one  only.  A  thought 
less  subtle,  a  word  less  strong,  and  such  adver- 
tisements  sink   to   the   level   of  the   ordinary. 

232 


IN    THE    MAGAZINES 


Sometimes  one  sees,  too,  a  spark  of  this  particu- 
lar sort  of  genius,  a  startling  piece  of  advertising 
work,  in  a  letter,  a  circular,  or  flashing  like  a 
lost  diamond  in  some  inconspicuous  little  ad- 
vertisement. Many  a  man  has  it  right  in  his 
hand  and  does  not  even  see  his  advertising 
opportunity.  He  fails  to  "put  it  over"  —  from 
a  lack  of  understanding,  a  lack  of  faith,  —  or 
both. 

To  "put  it  over"  in  the  magazines,  the  manu- 
facturer needs  confidence  in  his  product,  con- 
fidence in  his  medium,  and  confidence  in  his 
advertising  manager. 

Suggestions  far  Study 

1.  In  which  magazines  would  you  advertise  a  new  face 

powder  selling  at  25  cents  a  box  ? 

2.  In  which  magazines  would  you  advertise  a  new  face 

powder  selling  at  $4.50  a  box  ? 

3.  Originate  a  name  for  the  $4.50  face  powder  and  write 

advertisements  to  appeal  to  three  distinct  groups 
of  readers:  fashionable  women,  extravagant  women, 
inteUigent  women. 

4.  Cut  out  of  current  magazines  12  examples  of  good 

advertising  and  give  in  detail  the  points  in  which 
these  advertisements  excel. 

5.  Re- write  each  advertisement  for  the  same  magazine 

in  which  it  appeared,  presenting  a  new  idea  cal- 
233 


ADVERTISE  1 


culated  to  appeal  to  the  sort  of  people  who  read 
that  magazine. 

6.  Write  six  advertisements  addressed  to  women  about 

a  new  stove,  getting  your  data  from  current  stove 
advertising  and  naming  the  magazines  in  which 
your  new  advertisements  are  to  appear. 

7.  Cut  out  advertisements  addressed  to  men  about  some 

new  automobile  accessory  and  rewrite  these 
advertisements. 

8.  Write  six  advertisements  to  men  and  six  advertise- 

ments to  women  on  the  subject  of  your  favorite 
tooth  paste. 

9.  In   writing   candy    advertising,   would   you   address 

women  or  men  ? 

10.  Name  six  articles  advertised  for  men  which  exclude 

women  as  purchasers. 

11.  Name  20  articles  purchased  by  women,  excluding 

men  purchasers. 

12.  Name  six  articles  for  men  commonly  purchased  by 

women. 


234 


CHAPTER  XXV 

"CASH  MONEY''  RETURNS  FROM 
ADVERTISING 

Too  many  advertisers  are  contented  to  expect 
a  return  from  their  advertising  at  some  indefinite 
future  time. 

Just  as  the  prospector  is  always  expecting  to 
strike  it  rich,  so  men  who  advertise  without 
knowing  just  why,  or  what  they  are  doing,  hope 
to  wake  up  some  day  and  find  their  mail  full  of 
money  or  their  shops  crowded  with  eager 
customers. 

Of  course,  some  day  some  heir  to  your  estate 
may  get  a  return  on  something  you  advertise 
with  high  hope,  but  this  is  cold  comfort. 

Remember,  advertising  is  after  all  a  plain 
dollar-and-cents  business  proposition,  and  you 
had  much  better  take  your  money  and  buy 
yourself  an  automobile,  or  something  you  will 
get  some  solid  pleasure  out  of,  than  to  invest  in 
luxurious  advertising. 

Advertising  becomes  a  luxury  when  you  can- 
not set  a  definite  time  for  the  returns  to  come  in. 

Publicity,  while  eventually  forceful,  is  very 
much  more  costly  than  advertising,  just  for  this 

235 


ADVERTISE! 


reason  —  that  you  cannot  set  any  definite  time 
for  the  returns  to  come  in. 

Of  course,  there  is  an  element  of  gambhng  in 
all  advertising  —  which  may  be  what  makes  it 
one  of  the  most  fascinating  of  all  business  games. 
Perhaps  your  offer  will  not  take  with  the  public, 
perhaps  the  advertisement  is  not  strong  enough, 
or  is  too  strong,  or  your  strategy  is  poor  —  or 
maybe  all  of  these  things  are  poorly  planned. 
If  the  advertisement  does  not  pull,  don't  wait. 
Don't  send  good  money  after  bad.  Do  some- 
thing at  once. 

The  length  of  time  within  which  you  should 
expect  your  returns  depends  upon  the  nature  of 
your  business  and  how  long  you  have  been 
advertising.  Advertising  is  cumulative,  and  the 
back  force  of  many  years  of  advertising  will  keep 
any  concern  going  ahead  for  a  time.  For 
example,  if  you  have  a  national  street  car  adver- 
tising campaign,  the  end  of  a  year  should  show 
good  returns. 

If  it  is  a  newspaper  campaign,  with  news 
elements,  your  returns  should  be  more  rapid; 
while  if  it  is  a  letter  plan,  your  returns  should  be 
immediate.  Then  again  some  types  of  business 
require  longer  time  to  work  them  out  than 
others.     Usually  the  compensation  for  the  man 

236 


CASH    RETURNS    FROM    ADVERTISING 

who  plays  a  long  game  is  higher  —  but  this  is 
as  it  should  be,  as  he  has  longer  to  wait. 

In  the  dry  goods  business,  returns  must  be 
realized  each  and  every  day.  Here  advertise- 
merits  may  be  keyed  and  mistakes  of  policy 
most  readily  determined.  In  cases  where  the 
merchandise  backs  up  the  advertisement,  and 
the  advertisement  is  written  with  a  straight- 
from-the-shoulder  sense  of  earnestness,  the  re- 
turns will  come  as  they  should  come  —  daily  — 
at  once.  If  they  do  not  come  —  something  is 
wrong. 

What  applies  to  dry  goods,  applies  to  any 
other  retail  business. 

In  nationally  advertised  products,  such  as 
automobiles,  hosiery,  food  products,  etc.,  a  long 
campaign  to  make  the  public  familiar  with  the 
article  is  necessary,  and  at  least  a  year's  time  is 
required  before  one  may  reasonably  expect  to 
realize  on  the  advertising.  In  some  of  these 
propositions,  it  is  estimated  that  the  investment 
will  return  itself  at  the  end  of  the  first  year,  and 
that  thereafter  the  concern  may  look  for  "vel- 
vet." 

Where  the  risk  is  smallest  it  is  often  the  most 
urgent  to  get  immediate  returns.  The  man  who 
has    only    $500    to    invest    in    advertising    can 

237 


ADVERTISE! 


seldom  afford  to  wait  as  long  as  the  man  who 
invests  $25,000  or  $50,000.  In  such  cases  a 
letter  plan,  properly  handled,  will  bring  immedi- 
ate returns. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  advertising  man  to  refuse 
to  handle  any  business  from  which  he  does  not 
believe  a  reasonable  return  may  be  expected. 

With  the  proper  handling,  advertising  is  more 
certain  in  its  outcome  than  either  law  or  medi- 
cine, with  which  professions  it  may  fairly  claim 
to  rank. 

Suggestions  for  Study 

1.  Choose  any  concern  which  you  may  make  a  subject  of 

study  at  first  hand,  —  some  local  concern,  if  possible, 
and  one  that  may  be  nationally  advertised. 

2.  Secure  full  data  for  an  advertising  campaign. 

3.  Fix  an  appropriation. 

4.  Make  an  advertising  plan  in  detail. 

5.  Prepare  a  complete  system  of  follow-up  advertising, 

carrying  out  your  plan  in  every  phase,  and  be  sure 
that  every  piece  of  copy  is  linked  to  the  plan. 

6.  Compare  your  newspaper  advertisements,  magazine, 

billboard,  street  car,  and  other  advertisements  with 
previous  work  and  criticize  it  carefully. 

7.  If  possible,  have  some  interested  artist  illustrate  your 

ideas. 

8.  Try  to  sell  your  whole  plan  or  part  of  it  to  the  concern. 

This  last  step  will  be  the  final  test  of  your  ability. 


238 


VARILD. 

(Xldium) 

PR1CL5. 


5TYLE 
PP1CL5 
KLA50/\WHY 
SrZL 
COLOU 
QUAUTY 
^LA30/\ABLLAt35 


ADVERTISING 


LOW 
PElCt 


These  Groups  represent  the  Buying  Public 

Much  of  the  department  store  advertising  appeals 
only  to  group  3,  6ne  of  the  two  smaller  groups.  This 
is  perhaps  the  least  desirable  group,  as  it  comprises 

239 


ADVERTISE! 


people  who  make  a  business  of  shopping  and  are 
known  in  stores  as  "swaps." 

It  may  be  noticed  in  the  advertising  of  clothing 
that  the  life  of  a  given  style  is  60  days.  This  time 
may  be  divided  into  periods  of  20  days  each.  During 
the  first  20  days  advertisements  should  appeal  to 
groups  2  and  1 ;  during  the  second  20  days  to  groups 
1,  2,  and  3,  and  during  the  last  20  days  to  groups  3 
and  1  —  with  special  stress  on  the  appeals  in  the 
order  given. 


240 


INDEX 


Acid  test  of  a  good  advertisement, 
40 

Action  produced  by  suggestion, 
134,  155 

Agate  line  as  a  measurement,  53 

Advertising,  definition  of,  179; 
dominating  in  street  cars  and 
bill  boards,  200;  element  of 
gambling,  236;  ineffective  when 
haphazard,  178-179;  luxurious, 
235;  without  salesmen  (Chappe- 
low  Plan),  16-23;  wasted,  183- 
184 

Advertisements,  filing  collections 
of,  205 

Appetite,  tempting  the,  199 

Appropriation,  as  a  whole,  6-11; 
as  basis  for  plan,  6;  in  relation 
to  other  business  features,  7; 
percentages  allowed,  8;  depart- 
ment store  appropriations,  9; 
out  of  scale  with  competitors,  9, 
10;  "Suggestions  for  Study," 
11 

Analysis,  data  necessary  for  plan- 
ning, 15 

Art  associated  with  advertising 
under  certain  conditions,  148; 
condensing  drawing,  152;  getting 
ideas  for  illustrations,  "Sug- 
gestions for  Study,"  156-157; 
humor  in,  154;  rules  for  gaze 
movement,  154;  when  art 
weakens  advertisement,  153 


Artist,  directing  the,  149 

Artistic  principles  of  arrangement, 

72,73 
Attention,      involuntary      caught 

through  the  eye,  140 
Attention    involuntary,    ways    to 

hold,  153 
Average  advertisement,  too  good, 

37 

Balance  in  advertisements,  69-71; 
illustrated,  75-78 

Bargain  instinct,  overworked  by 
advertisers,  4,  102 

Beauty  doctor,  advertising  with 
reference  to  localities,  123 

Bill  board,  brass  band  of  adver- 
tising, 200;  isolation  of,  200; 
difference  in  handling  of,  200- 
201;  practice  in  writing  copy  for, 
"Suggestions  for  Study,"  201- 
202 

Booklets,  titles  of,  184-185;  ways 
to  tell  the  story  in,  185;  humor 
in,  186;  marking  copy  for,  187; 
proof  reading,  187;  advertising 
preliminary  to  mailing,  188 

Brevity,  a  feature  of  indirect  sug- 
gestion, 132;  in  street  car  and 
bill  board  advertising,  197 

Campaign  of  advertising,  plan- 
write-sell,  "Suggestions  for 
Study,"  238 


241 


INDEX 


Cats  Paw  rubber  heels,  as  an  ex- 
ample, 229 

Central  idea  and  how  to  obtain  it, 
108,  109;  of  the  advertisement 
necessary,  40 

Chairs,  the  advertising  of,  46 

Chappelow  Advertising  Agency, 
preliminary  advertising  plan, 
16-23 

Clearness,  necessity  for  in  state- 
ment, 51 

Closing  point  in  an  advertisement, 
110 

Closing  point  of  sale  not  attained 
through  reason,  128 

Closing  point  for  salesman,  130 

Color  in  balance,  71 

Column,  paper  and  magazine 
width,  etc.,  53 

Comparative  prices,  when  they 
may  be  used,  103;  when  they 
show  lack  of  ingenuity,  104 

Commandments,  the  command- 
ments of  advertising,  vii 

"Copy,"  definition,  55;  how  to 
mark  it  for  printers,  56;  linked 
to  art  works,  150 

Corporation  advertising,  230 

Correspondence  school,  advertising 
exaggerated,  97;  ideas  for  ad- 
vertising, 41-42 

Costly  advertisements,  sometimes 
not  effective,  44 

Customers  lose  through  failure  to 
mention  place  where  article  may 
be  bought,  134 


Cuts  as  definite  merchandise,  215; 
making  color  cuts,  220;  pre- 
venting the  loss  of,  212;  placing 
them  in  the  advertisement,  54 

Data,  collection  of,  preliminary  to 
advertising,  14 

Danger,  the  greatest  affecting 
advertising,  44 

Department  stores,  advertising 
requisitions  for,  208;  failures  to 
create  new  customers,  4;  returns 
from  advertising  of,  237 

Dignity,  shopworn  tradition  of,  1 

Direct  advertising,  181-187;  prac- 
tice in  preparing  "Suggestions 
for  Study,"  188-189 

Depth,  rules  as  to  requirements, 
54 

Drawings,  marking  for  reduction, 
216  (illustrated,  217);  how  to 
reduce  them,  216 

Eye,  making  friends  with  the  eye, 
137;  prejudices  of,  138;  sustain- 
ing optical  interest,  138,  139; 
large  type  for,  140;  amount  of 
type  eye  can  read  at  one  fixa- 
tion, 141;  size  of  type  preferred, 
141;  breaking  long  paragraphs 
for  the  eye,  142;  preference  for 
lower  case  type,  142;  points  of 
optical  interest  illustrated,  145; 
practice  in  pleasing,  "Sugges- 
tions for  Study,"  146-147 

Engraver,  consulting  the,  220 


242 


INDEX 


Engraving  plant,  getting  familiar       Half-tones,  219 


with,  215;  work  in,  218;  "Sug- 
gestions for  Study,"  221-222 

Fatima,  as  an  example,  228 

First  advertisement,  point  of  view 
in  writing,  37 

Fixed  ideas  ruinous  in  advertising, 
4 

Flowers,  the  advertising  of,  199 

Food  advertisers,  failure  to  men- 
tion place  of  purchase,  4,  198 

Follow  up,  concentration  of,  181; 
study  of  follow-up  methods, 
"Suggestions  for  study,"  181- 
182;  effectiveness  of,  179;  plan- 
ning and  preparing,  180 

Folders,  181-187 

Fraudulent  advertising,  exag- 
gerated, 2 

Funk  and  Wagnals,  advertising  an 
example,  112 

Furniture  advertising,  ideas  for, 
46 

Future,  of  a  business  important 
consideration,  50 


Gaze  movement,  the,  154 

Gold  Medal  Flour  advertisement, 
an  example,  96 

"Golden  Proportion"  in  designing 
layout,  72 

Guaranteed  Hosiery,  an  advertis- 
ing strategy,  13 

Good  Housekeeping,  as  a  medium, 
231 


"Heads"  or  head  lines,  short  but 
not  curt,  79;  practice  in  writing, 
80-82;  hackneyed  heads,  81; 
rule  for  writing,  82;  examples  of, 
83-87;  styles  of  heads  (illus- 
trated), 89;  practical  work  in 
writing,  "Suggestions  for 
Study,"  89 

Human,  being  human  in  your  ad- 
vertising, 46 

Human  Interest  in  the  art  work, 
149 

Humor,  objective  and  subjective, 
115,  116;  necessity  for,  117; 
practice  in  using,  "Suggestions 
for  Study,"  119 

House  organ,  the,  188 

Illustrations  of  magazine  adver- 
tisements, 232 

direction,    not    to    be    used    at 
expense  of  clearness,  96 

Interest  sustained  in  direct  ad- 
vertising, 183 

Inexpensive  articles,  the  adver- 
tising of,  198 

Ivory  Soap,  as  an  example,  228; 
"It  Floats,"  a  subtle  advertise- 
ment, 2 

Laws  of  individuals  and  masses, 

126 
Layout,  originality  of,  55;  practice 

in,  "Suggestions  for  Study,"  65- 

68;  magazine  copy,  232 


243 


INDEX 


Letters,  length  of  lines,  161;  how 
long  to  make  them,  161;  prac- 
tice in  letter  writing,  "Sugges- 
tions for  Study,"  162;  complete 
letters  as  examples,  163-177; 
plan  for  signing,  161 

Letter  plan  effective,  157;  import- 
ance of  letter,  157;  opening  sen- 
tence of,  158;  special  paragraph 
of,  59;  "you"  paragraphs,  159; 
letter  plans  as  a  whole,  166;  test 
lists  for,  160 

Life,  as  a  source  of  advertising,  3; 
full  of  forceful  advertising  pic- 
tures, 149 

Linking  copy  and  illustration,  148 

Little  Fairy  Soap,  as  an  example, 
228 

Liesure  classes,  advertising  to,  190, 
224 

Lithography  and  photo-lithog- 
raphy, 221 

Local  color,  its  effect  in  adver- 
tising, 120-124;  practice  in 
using  it,  "Suggestions  for 
Study,"  124-125 

Magazine,  contrasted  with  news- 
paper, 224;  as  class  medium, 
225;  favored  positions  in,  225; 
layouts  for,  226;  paper  used  in, 
226;  cost  of  space,  226;  char- 
acter of  copy  for,  226;  predomi- 
nating in  ads  for,  227;  "punch" 
in,  227;  difference  in  advertising, 
232,  order  blank  for  adver- 
tising in,  209;  practice  in  writing, 

244 


233-234;  difference  in  adver- 
tising, 232 

Market  conditions  in  relation  to 
planning  advertising,  13 

Measurements  of  advertisements, 
52-65 

Media  in  relation  to  appropriation, 
9-10;  reaching  readers  through 
variety  of,  180 

Men's  clothing  stores,  letters  for, 
166-169 

Merchandise,  study  of  in  relation 
to  plan,  12;  distribution  and 
service,  13;  data  necessary,  14; 
poor  merchandise  a  failure,  13 

Merchandising,  advantage  of  ad- 
vertising new  merchandise,  103 

Monotonous  advertising  in- 
effective, 4 

Monotony  of  balance  in  adver- 
tising, 71 

Money,  sometimes  thrown  away  in 
advertising,  45 

Nationally    advertised    products, 

advertising  returns  of,  237 
Name,     making    it    conspicuous, 

197 
Names,  card  files  for  lists  of,  212 
Negative    advertising    dangerous, 

48;  in  "Suggestions  for  Study," 

51 
Negative    statements,    eliminate, 

109-110 
Negative  ideas  in  art,  bad,  155 
Newspapers,  order  for  advertising 


INDEX 


Omar  cigarettes,  as  an  example, 

198 
Optical  laws  in  art  work,  153 
Optimism,  pulling  power  of,  114 
Over  emphasis  to  be  avoided,  73 

Papers,  study  of,  187;  magazine 
paper,  226 

Past  advertising,  bearing  on  ap- 
propriation, 7,  8 

Pattern,  its  similarity  to  layout,  52 

Pears'  soap,  as  an  example,  128, 
133 

Peter,  Peter,  Pumpkin  Eater,  in 
advertising,  38-39 

Piano  advertising,  37-40 

Pica,  standard  of  measurement, 
58-59 

Planning  system,  214 

Plan,  depending  on  appropriation, 
6;  necessity  for  plan,  12;  differ- 
ence between  advertising  with 
plan  and  without  plan,  13; 
collection  of  data  for  plan,  14; 
analysis  before  making  plan,  15- 
16;  preliminary  written  plan  of 
The  Chappelow  Agency,  16-23; 
fully  worked  out  original  small 
plan,  23-35 

Political  advertising,  keeping 
checks  of,  206 

Point  system  in  type,  and  explana- 
tion, 58 

Prince  Albert  tobacco,  as  an  ex- 
ample, 228. 

Prejudices  of  readers  taken  into 
accoimt,  48-49 


Points  of  contact,  1-5;  "Sugges- 
tions for  Study,"  5 

Program  advertising,  glaring  fault 
of,  190;  examples  of,  191,  193, 
195;  practice  in  writing,  "Sug- 
gestions for  Study,"  194-195 

Pullman  Company,  the  advertising 
of,  230 

"Psychology,"  too  much  so-called 
psychology  in  advertising,  42 

Psychologists,  not  all  advertisers, 
43 

"Psychologically"  perfect  ad- 
vertisements often  poor,  37 

Publicity,  its  distinction  from  ad- 
vertising, 49-50 

"Quality,"  a  hackneyed  term  in 
advertising,  46 


Readers  of  advertising,  not 
guaranteed,  44 

Real  estate  dealers,  plan  and  ad- 
vertising complete,  23-35 

Reputation  of  concern  necessary 
consideration,  50 

"Reason  Why  Copy"  in  relation 
to  point  of  contact,  2;  over 
emphasizes  reasonableness,  127 

Results  of  advertisement  pre- 
dicted, 126-127 

Returns,  necessity  for  tracing 
them,  49;  from  advertising  at 
definite  time,  235 

Requisitions,  forms  illustrated, 
207,  209,  211,  213 


245 


INDEX 


Retail  business,  returns  from  ad- 
vertising, 237 

Rubber  heels,  the  advertising  of, 
126 

Sale  advertisements,  lacking  in 
imagination,  3;  treated  for  news 
value,  3 

Sales,  competitive,  keeping  track 
of,  210 

Sapolio,  as  an  example,  228 

Saturday  Evening  Post,  advertising 
sidelights  on  readers  of,  223;  as 
a  "mixer,"  231;  dull  headlines 
in,  82 

Screens  used  in  making  cuts,  219, 
220 

"Service,"  a  hackneyed  term  in 
advertising,  46 

Shapes,  variety  of  designing  lay- 
out, 72 

Shakespeare  in  advertising,  128- 

)~  129 

Shoe  advertising,  a  new  idea  for, 
123 

Signatm-e  cut,  its  place  in  the  ad- 
vertisement, 54-55 

Space  of  advertisement,  52-65 

Slogan,  its  power,  96 

Soap  advertising,  228 

Street  car  cards,  for  department 
stores,  199;  style  of  copy  for,  200; 
practice  in  writing  copy  for, 
"Suggestions  for  Study,"  201- 
202 

Style  of  advertisement,  in  appear- 
ance, 52 


Strategy  in  advertising,  12-36 

Suggestion  at  "closing  point,"  131; 
suggestion  defined,  127;  direct, 
explained,  128;  direct,  preva- 
lence in  advertising,  129-130; 
differentiated  from  "Reason 
Why  Copy,"  132-133;  law  of, 
129;  indirect  (suggestion)  ex- 
amples, 128-129,  132;  when 
lacking  in  clearness,  133;  prac- 
tice in  use  of,  "Suggestions  for 
Study,"  135-136;  suggestion  in 
bill  board  and  street  car  copy, 
197;  examples,  228;  in  magazine 
copy,  227-228;  its  effect  on 
people,  223-224 

Suggestibility  of  people,  126;  two 
kinds  of,  128 

Systematizing,  practice,  "Sugges- 
tions for  Study,"  214 

Tea  advertising,  new  ideas  for,  110, 
111 

Temptation  in  advertising,  108; 
practice  in,  "Suggestions  for 
Study,"  113 

"Teeter  Tooter,"  as  explanation 
of  balance,  70 

Telephone  company,  the  adver- 
tising of,  229 

Terms  not  understood  used  by  de- 
partment stores,  4 

Theory  sacrificed  for  common 
sense,  43 

Thinking  in  advertising,  pictures, 
150 


246 


INDEX 


Time  for  returns  from  advertising, 
236 

Tobacco  advertising,  as  an  ex- 
ample, 228 

Tools  needed  by  the  advertising 
writer,  52,  53 

Tooth  brush,  the  advertising  of, 
228,  229 

Type,  authority  of,  144 

Type  sizes,  illustrated,  66,  67 

Type  table,  60-65 

Understanding  of  customer,  4 
Ungrammatical       advertisements 
'     sometimes    effective,    letter,    4, 
29,41 


Velvet  Tobacco,  as  an  example, 
228 

Victrola  advertisement,  as  an  ex- 
ample, 148,  228 

Wall  paper,  advertising  ideas,  47 
Women's    wearing  apparel,   price 

appeal  hackneyed,  104 
Wording  advertisements,  practice 

in,  "Suggestions  for  Study,"  99- 

100 
Words,  study  of,  95 

Zinc  cuts,  218;  floats  or  mounts, 
219 


247 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 
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OCT  23    1947 

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